


The Price of Living

by tur1823



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-06-12 21:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 35,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15348759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tur1823/pseuds/tur1823
Summary: Chloe Price returns to Blackwell Academy to blackmail her former classmate Nathan Prescott for his recent ‘moral shortcomings’. Someone from her past however intervenes, and her little world is turned upside down forever. A Chloe centred take on the self sacrifice ending. Originally posted January 14th 2018.





	1. Blind to Fate

** Opening Author's Note: **

**Hello AO3. I've never posted anything on here before so I'm still adjusting to how things work. So please forgive me if there are any errors in the chapters I post.**

**This story, along with a few other LIS fan fictions I wrote are all available on my fanfiction.net account under the same user name. Everything I posted on FF.net will be on here soon enough.**

* * *

_This is hella bullshit_. I can’t be the only one who notices it, right? I do a doubletake to make sure I didn’t miss it. Hard to believe I didn’t see it when I was an inmate here. How can Blackwell have handicap parking but not a handicap access ramp? _Sorry Blackwell cripples. We can give you adequate space to exit your vehicle, but you’ll still have to drag yourself up a staircase if you wanna go to your pretentious art class._

“Time for a reality check Blackhell.” I park my old rust bucket of a pick up truck horizontally across both handicap spots, but my one woman protest is put on the back burner once I notice the all too familiar RV parked in front of me. _What the hell is Frank doing here?_ Making house calls during school hours seems like a dumb move. He should know better.

I could use some more weed but I should make what I have last until I have what I need to pay to my debt to Frank. _No need to poke that beehive._

_Oh. Right._ I suddenly remember why I’m here. _Not that I could forget._

Nathan seemed like such an easy target when I bumped into him at the bar on Saturday night. I thought I could get at least some of the money I need to pay Frank back, but that Prescott shit head had other plans.

_Fucker got me good. I take my eyes off him for one second and he slips something in my beer._

Saturday night’s events come flooding back in an unsettling torrent.

* * *

Everything’s black. I can’t move. My head is fuzzy. _Hungover isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind._

I almost feel dead, but I know I’m not. _What the hell is going on?_

Two strange noises start to bring me back to the here and now. One is a repetitive clicking and the other sounds like a cry. _Hang on. I know that sound._ It’s a whale singing. It’s so peaceful.

The memory of Rachel and I getting baked at the lighthouse last year whilst listening to a similar track lulls me back to sleep. I feel her hand stroking my hair. “Shhh. Go back to sleep” she tells me in a deep whisper. “Follow the whales.”

“Rachel.” I hear myself say in a soft tone. “I miss you.”

She responds, but I can’t quite make out what she said. As always Rachel gets her way and I drift.

“Fuck!” An angry voice bellows.

Everything’s still black. I can still hear the clicking but the whales have been silenced. It’s annoying.

“What am I doing wrong?” The voice asks. “It’s the fucking lighting in here.”

_That sounds like Nathan. Wait, this isn’t right. I was supposed to steal some cash of him first chance I got._

“Damn it. Why isn’t it like how it was with the virgin?”

A few more of those annoying clicking sounds along with Nathan’s words force my eyes to open and the first thing I see is Nathan leering at me through the lens of a camera.

All my senses are sharpened in a nanosecond. _Run Price, run!_

“What in the name of FUCK!” I shout at as a thrust my foot towards Nathan’s balls. I miss and hit his bedside lamp instead. My unforeseen attack stumbles the creep in front of me and he falls back onto his bed giving me a few precious seconds to work with.

_Home. I have to get home._

The adrenaline has taken over. I get to my feet and out the door into the dorm halls. _Fuck. I have never moved so fast in my life._

The sound of heavy metal from one of the other dorm rooms is drowning out the shouting emulating from Nathan’s room. I keep running until the cool air of the Oregon fall tells me I am safe.

Once I am in the parking lot I stop running and hide behind one of the parked cars. _I gotta make sure I’m not being followed. Not by Nathan, not by Blackwell security, not by anyone._ I take a few deep breaths and count to ten.

Two minutes later I stand up from behind the silver, recently detailed sedan and breathe a gigantic sigh of relief. _All clear._

Sitting on one of the concrete pillars that is out of the intrusive gaze of the street lights, I bury my face in my hands and surrender to the inevitable tears.

_What the fuck was that? What the fuck just happened?_

I cry harder and harder.

_I want my Mom. I need her to hug me like she used to._

_I want Rachel back. I can’t leave Arcadia without her._

_I want Max back. I miss being a pirate._

_I want Dad back. I just want to be part of a normal family again._

* * *

I smash my hands on my steering wheel. “Fuck that!” I put the shitty memory behind me and get into mission mode. After a threatening note left in his car and some not so friendly texting, we agreed to meet in the girls bathroom right after the last class today. That fucker knows why we are meeting. He won’t want me blabbing to anyone about this. _Time to pay the fiddler asshole._

I flinch at the memory of me standing up for that mother fucker when Drew was giving him shit. _Hard to believe that was three and a half years ago. Feels like yesterday._ That was a mistake. That bastard’s family put Drew’s Dad into a homeless shelter with their fucked up business ethics. _Fuck the Prescotts. They deserve to suffer._

I open my glove box and admire the revolver I took from Step Dick this morning. _Should I bring it with me?_ After some contemplation I decide not to. I want Nathan’s money, not his blood. Plus I don’t need it. I have his balls in vice grip already and this is blackmail, not robbery.

I close my glove box and step out of my car trying best to ignore the box of missing persons posters in the back that I had printed up. _Damn it Rachel. Where the hell are you?_ Deciding it’s best to focus on the task at hand, I lock up my car and head for the main grounds. I can’t help but smile smugly since Hannibal Lector still hasn’t painted over the illuminati symbol I drew on the back of one the parking lot signs earlier this year. _Although I think most people around here call him Samuel._ _Fuck that dude. You treat me like Clarice Starling and I will punish you._

Once I reach the main grounds I hear the bell ringing signalling the end of classes for the day. _Always the best part of my school days._ I take in my surroundings and can’t help but take a quick nostalgic journey. The place looks the same apart from the douchey photographs they have put on display for all to see. These shots must have been taken by that photography teacher Rachel told me about. He started teaching at Blackwell in the fall of 2010, right after my expulsion. _What was his name again? Marcus? Martin? Marvin? Definitely started with an M._

I wander past the entrance to the pool, or rather the otter’s lair. For me, it’s the back stage area for The Tempest production. Everyone, including me thought I was gonna fuck it all up but instead I nailed it. Although the best part of the play was turning the tables on Victoria Chase. Even after so many years I still piss myself laughing when I think about her accusing Rachel of taking drugs right before she blacked out, all the while slurring her words and barely being able to keep her footing. _What goes around comes around, bitch._

In the distance, just past the doors to the main campus I spy the same table I played that nerdy tabletop game for the first time since Max bailed. I never thought it would be fun to play it again, but I was wrong. _Elamon and Callamastia rocked it._ I sigh at the fact that I haven’t spoken to Mickey since Rachel vanished. As far as I know he still goes here. _I should catch up with him when I can. The dude might be a bit lonely since both Drew and Steph have graduated._  

Approaching the double doors that lead inside, the first thing I see is old man Wells stepping into his office. _Fuck. That was hella good timing._ I enter to find Ms Grant with her back to me, she’s talking to someone who I assume is one her students which gives me the chance to slip past her. _This might be my lucky day._

Ignoring Trevor with a simple nod of recognition, I spot Nathan. _Okay Price, time to focus._ We lock eyes and I can see the same fire in his eyes that must be in mine. _You sick fuck._ He jerks his head towards the girl’s room and proceeds to head inside without a second glance in my direction. I follow his lead and just as I reach to open the door, I hear a voice coming from the other side. I smirk at what I hear. It’s Nathan talking to himself. He’s telling himself not to stress and that he’s the boss. _Fucking adorable. I’m gonna own this fucking freaktard._

I put my game face on and head inside to find Prescott leaning over one of the basins. _He seems on edge so I doubt he doublechecked the stalls to make sure we have complete privacy._ “So what do you want?” Nathan asks as he tries to steady his nerves.

Disregarding his question, I close the door behind me and start checking the stalls for eavesdroppers. “I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say. Now, let’s talk bidness.” _Just gotta check the last stall and the spot where Lector keeps his shit._

“I got nothing for you” Nathan says with the arrogance of a spoiled brat. _Fuck this I’m going for the jugular!_  

I turn my attention back to Nathan and decide to turn up the heat. “Wrong. You got hella cash.”

“That’s my family. Not me.” _Mother fucker wants to play? Then let’s play._

“Oh boo hoo, poor little rich kid. I know you been pumping drugs and shit to kids around here.” I get beside him and right in his face to let him know I mean fucking business. “I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Man, I can see the headlines now.”

“Leave them out of this bitch.” _Choose your next words carefully you little shit. You’re not the only one who is pissed._

“I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself-”

I shove Nathan which seems to push him even further, but before I can finish my sentence Nathan reaches for something in his jacket. “You don’t know who the fuck I am or who you’re messing around with!” In the blink of an eye the game has changed. Nathan is volatile and has me at gun point.

_Shit. Gun. He’s gonna kill me. I’m gonna die. I’m sorry Dad. You would be ashamed of what I have let myself become._

I put my hands up in submission, but Nathan approaches me and presses the barrel to my abdomen. “Where’d you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!” My pleas for mercy do nothing but push Nathan even further. _Fuck, fuck fuck! This can’t be it. Rachel, Max, all I want is to see the two of you one last time._

“Don’t EVER tell me what to do. I’m so sick of people trying to control me!” There is nothing in Nathan’s eyes except rage and hatred. I can’t talk my way out of this.

_I’m sorry Mom. I should have been a better daughter. Please take care of her David. Hate me all you want, but just look after my mother._

I try to plead with Nathan, to let him know that there will be a world of shit waiting for him if he pulls the trigger. “You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs.”

“Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass would they?” Nathan’s words hit home. _He’s right._

My attention is suddenly drawn to a girl coming out from behind the stalls. Nathan sees my eyes and knows that we aren’t alone. He starts to turn around to face what has caught my eye.

“STOP! Please! Not aga-“

A deafening bang forces my eyes to suddenly snap shut and my ears start to ring.

Amongst the ringing in my ears, I hear Nathan swearing and shouting like a maniac. _What just happened? What did I do? What did Nathan do?_

I feel someone’s hands pushing me and I hit the bathroom tiles with a loud thud forcing my eyes to open. First thing I see is Nathan leaving the bathroom in a state of total panic. During the brief moment that the door is open, I hear shouting, screaming and a stampede of footsteps.

I turn to find a girl squirming in pain on the floor. A pool of blood is already spreading across the floor. _Oh God_ _no. I have to help her. This is my fault._

I get to feet and run over to help the poor girl. _Oh God, there is so much blood._ I kneel down to try and help, trying my best to ignore the blood on my jeans. She won’t stop squirming and squealing in agony.

“SOMEBODY HELP PLEASE!” I scream. _Surely someone has called 911 by now._

Our eyes meet and I think my heart stops beating. _I know those freckles. I know those eyes._

My vison becomes blurry from my tears and I refuse to believe who I am looking at.

“Max?” I don’t recognise my own voice. _This isn’t real, I’m seeing things. She can’t be here._

“Ch-Chlo-Chloe-Chloe.” Max says weakly between gasps. _It really is her. How? When?_

“Move your hands Max.” I order. Max moves one of hands and touches my cheek and shoulder, smearing blood on my face and jacket.

I take off my beanie, place it over her abdomen and press down hard. She cries in response. “I know it hurts Max. I know it hurts. You’re gonna be okay, just stay with me!”

The blood isn’t stopping. _How do I stop it? What am I supposed to do?_

“PLEASE HELP!” I scream again.

“Je-Jef-Jef-Jeff-Jeff-Jeff” Max is pushing herself to stay conscious. _Or is she trying to tell me something? Jeff?_ _What does that mean? Who is Jeff?_

Her words suddenly cease and there is nothing in her eyes. Just a painful stillness. She’s cold and pale. “Max? Max?” I shake her but to no avail. “Don’t to this to me Max. Don’t to this to me. Not you too.” _Please let me wake up. This is not happening._

I pull her up, hold her blood smeared body to mine and start to beg God, or fate or anyone who’s listening not to take Max Caulfield away from me again. _Once was enough._

* * *

**Author’s Note: **

**It’s not the first time I used a moment from The Last of Us and it probably won’t be the last. Sarah’s death scene makes me cry every God damn time so that’s what I’m shooting for.**

**I couldn’t help but make so many references to Before the Storm. I certainly plan to use characters from BTS in future chapters.**

**Like many on here, I am always looking to improve my writing skills. So if you have any thoughts on how I can improve, I’m all ears.**


	2. Blood Bound

I don’t know if it’s my tears or Max’s blood but my face feels itchy and for lack of a better word, consumed. _Five painful years apart and this is how we are bought back together._

I cradle her lifeless body and look into her beautiful blue eyes which are now several shades darker than I remember. All my anger and all the resentment I have held towards her over the years suddenly evaporates. _I never wanted to be angry with you Max._

Placing my hands over her eyes, I close them for her. “I-I forgive you.” I whisper as I let out a loud sob. “And I’ll always love you.” I softly kiss her temple.

My goodbye to Max is shattered when someone comes barging through the bathroom door, bringing me back to the horrific reality which I helped create.

“Oh dear God.” My Step Father, David Madsen looks as pale as I feel. The security guard outfit he is wearing is supposed to portray authority and strength but this is the first time I’ve seen him so powerless. He quickly gathers his composure and dashes over to me. “Chloe, I need you to let her go. Lay her down on the floor.”

_I can’t. I can’t let her go. Now I truly have lost everything._ “S-she’s gone” I state blankly.

Instead of chastising me like usual, David places his index finger on her neck in an obvious attempt to check for a heartbeat. _Don’t bother. She’s dead, my best friend is dead._ His expression changes suddenly. From hopeless to fiercely determined. “Chloe, she’s alive! I can feel her pulse!” David shouts. “Lay her down right now.”

_Alive? Is there a chance?_ My heart skips a beat.

Immediately complying, I shift her from my embrace and onto the floor. David is talking to someone over his radio. “Carter, we are gonna need an ambulance here ASAP. I’ve got a student with a single gun shot wound to the abdomen in the girl’s bathroom. Contact the police and get them up to date right now!” David is clearly a man who thrives in situations like this. Carter, one of the other security guards acknowledges David’s rapid fire commands and the attention is back to me.

“David” I say, my voice laced in desperation. “I’ll tell you everything. I’ll move out if that’s what you want. I’ll do whatever you want. Just save Max, save my friend please! I can’t lose her. Not again.”

My Step Father looks at me as if I have grown three heads. He’s never seen me so weak and vulnerable before. His eyes shift down to Max. “This is the same Max that Joyce used to talk about…” He stops talking halfway through the sentence and shakes his head slightly as if to wake himself up. Taking my beanie from the blood stained tiles, he hands it to me and gives me a look I have never seen before. “Keep pressure on the wound Chloe.”

Something passes between us in that moment. I don’t know what it is but it feels like something I need to embrace. “And talk to her. If she really is your friend then she needs to hear your voice.”

_Okay Chloe, just put pressure on the wound. You can do that._

“Max? I need you to wake up. Come back to me. I can’t let you die without you knowing that I forgive you. PLEASE! I FUCKING FORGIVE YOU MAX!” I want to shake her but that won’t help anyone.

I start applying pressure again. I don’t wanna crack one of her ribs since she is so slender so I don’t press down to hard _._

David wipes away a lone tear, gets to his feet and goes back to issuing commands over his radio. “All security, I need the way clear for the ambulance when they arrive. Get all students back to their dorms and don’t let anyone in the main building. Get teachers to assist if you have to and once the police arrive, get them to the girl’s room. We need a crime scene established.” _Police? Crime scene? Fuck. What’s gonna happen to me? Damn it Chloe, Nathan is the bad guy here. Focus on Max._

“David, it was Nathan, Nathan Prescott. He didn’t mean to shoot her but he’s the one who did it. He ran off right after it happened. You gotta believe me, I would never hurt Max.”

Before David can respond, Carter is back on the radio. _Is Carter his first name or his last?_ “Madsen, I’ve had about a dozen students tell me that the Prescott boy was sprinting towards the parking lot holding a gun. I’m gonna te- hang on.” There is a brief pause and we can both hear sirens over the radio. “Two police cars just arrived. I’ll get them up to speed. The ambulance shouldn’t be far behind.”

About a minute later two cops come into the bathroom and both freeze in place at the horror show in front of them, just like David did. I recognise one of them as Anderson Berry. I don’t know the other one. Berry has always had it out for me. The dude always busted me, Rachel, Justin and Trevor when we used to skate in the old days.

“Paramedics are two minutes away. David, I need you outside to help with crowd control. Make sure nothing blocks their path. The damn kids aren’t listening.” Berry seems intent on taking over the situation and I don’t think David likes it. “And Chloe?” His eyes are on me now. I can feel him judging me. _Asshole._ At least the other cop is actually tending to Max. “Don’t go far. You hear me?” Berry clearly wants to blame me for this. I nod in answer to his question and it’s obvious he wants me to leave with David. I don’t want to leave without knowing if she’ll pull through, but she needs proper medical attention and I can’t give her that. Neither can David. We both need to swallow our pride here.

Right before I get up I spy a messenger bag, the kind you sling over your shoulder. It must be Max’s. Who knows what the cops will do with it, so I take it since their attention is on Max. I’m a bit slow getting to my feet since my knees are sore from being on the bathroom floor. Luckily neither of the cops noticed and David doesn’t seem to care since he seems intent with dealing whatever is happening outside.

“Just save her. Please.” I say as I close the bathroom door behind me. Neither of the cops respond to my plea or even look up.

My hands are shaking and Max’s blood to still on them. Some of it is dripping onto the floor. I can’t control my breathing. I hug Max’s bag to my chest as if it were her. _Oh God. Please let her be okay. Please let her be okay._

I can see a large crowd of about fifty outside the main doors. Most of them seem to be students but I can also spot a few teachers, security guards and cops trying to clear a path. Everyone at Blackwell is dying to know what the fuck is happening. The shouting from outside seems to be escalating.

Someone places a hand on my shoulder. It’s David. “Chloe listen to me.” Our eyes meet and for what seems like the first time, I don’t resent him. “I’ve gotta get outside and check in with Carter. You need to get yourself cleaned up. You have blood all over you.” I look down to see how much of Max’s blood is on me. I instantly look back up and my breathing is out of control. _Don’t look down. Don’t look down, Price._

Remembering that I have a change of cloths in my car I give David a nod. “Okay do what you gotta do. I got some cloths in my car.” _My smokes are in my car too. I really need one right now._

“And for the love of God, don’t leave campus. The Police will come after you if you do. You need to tell them everything. Do you understand?” David’s stern voice makes me realise that he’s right. I can’t run. Even if it gets me in deep shit, I gotta tell the cops everything. I gotta convince the cops that Nathan is the bad guy here.

_Even if you do Price, that doesn’t suddenly mean your hands are clean of this._ “Okay, okay. I won’t leave.”

David looks like he wants to say more, but he heads outside instead leaving me alone and covered in my best friend’s blood. _I need to get to my car and get these cloths off me and while I’m at it, have a smoke._

Obviously walking out the main doors into a crowd covered in blood is a bad idea so I instead opt for one of the back exits that always came in handy for skipping class. I can take the long way around the main building to avoid anyone and get changed while I’m ducked behind my car.

Fortunately the halls are deserted and once I’m outside I take a welcomed breath of the fresh air. I make my way around the back of the main building. No one is around here either. I am about to turn the corner leading to the parking lot when a pale blonde girl almost bumps right into me. She’s wearing a knee high grey skirt, a black cardigan and her hair is up in a bun. She takes one look at me and almost leaps out of her skin in fear. _Can’t say I blame her._

She puts her hands up in submission. “P-please don’t hurt me. I- I won’t tell anyone you were here.” Her voice is barely audible. The poor girl is terrified of me. _Hang on, I know this girl. Her name’s Kate. Rachel briefly introduced us when we bumped into her at the diner earlier this year._ If I recall, Kate and Rachel had a few of the same classes together. “Aren’t y-you Rachel’s f-friend?” she asks, sounding slightly more at ease.

I take a step back to make her feel a bit safer. _I really need to get out of these fucking clothes._ “Yeah that’s me. Chloe. We met earlier this year. Kate, I’m not going to hurt you.” Her hands are shaking. “Look someone was shot and I tried to help her. The police are with her now. You should go back to your dorm room. Wells, Madsen and the cops want all students out of the way.”

My pleading with Kate seems to be working but she’s suddenly notices something and whatever it is has her terrified again. “Where did you get that bag?!” She’s eying Max’s messenger bag which I’m still holding to my chest. _Oh fuck no. Are Kate and Max friends?_

“I’m holding onto it for my friend Max. She’s the one wh- who…” My ability to speak fails me and I look down in shame. Kate’s face becomes even more pale than usual. She knows what I’m trying to say. Kate quickly turns away from me and runs, to the main entrance I assume. I take a quick look behind me and see little drops of blood that I left behind. _It’s my fault._

_This isn’t just about you Price. What about Kate and all the other people Max knows here?_

_What about Mom? Max was like a second daughter to her. Sometimes I felt like Mom loved Max more than she loved me. If she did, I wouldn’t hold it against her. Max was-is amazing and I’m a fucking screwup._

My spine gets chills at the worst realisation of all. Max’s parents, Ryan and Vanessa. _Have I destroyed their world? Their lives? Fuck._ No doubt they will be here soon.

The first thing I notice when I get to the parking lot is that Frank’s RV is gone and there is another police car along with an ambulance blocking the exit. _Good, no matter how tempting driving away is at least now I can’t._

I manage to get to my car unnoticed since the cops are focusing on the entry to the parking lot and the staircase leading to the main grounds. I can still hear all the commotion coming from the main entrance. _I hope things calm down soon._

Reaching behind the driver’s seat, I manage to retrieve an old pair of blue jeans along with the old black t-shirt I stole a few years back at the Fire Walk concert. _That was a crazy night. Everything changed that night. Everything changed when Rachel vanished. And now it seems everything is changing again._ The Fire Walk logo has faded a bit, but no fucks are given.

 I start to change, staying ducked behind my car as not to attract attention. _Stripping down to my underwear in the junkyard is one thing, but this is something else._ Once I am changed I cleanse myself using the can of men’s deodorant I keep on hand and use an old water bottle to wash Max’s blood off my face and hands. _My car is basically an efficiency apartment._

After five minutes and three cigarettes, I spot two paramedics carefully guiding a gurney down the stairs. Berry and the other cop accompany them. _Max, please don’t be dead._

“Tell me she’s alive.” I say to Berry as I approach to ambulance. I can’t control my state of total panic. The paramedics are dealing with loading Max into the ambulance so I can only really talk to Berry, as much as I despise him.

Berry puts one of his hands out to stop me from going near the ambulance and I halt in front of him. “She’s alive but critical. They are taking her straight into emergency surgery. That’s all I can say for now.”

“I gotta be there for her. I have to know what’s going on.” I turn back towards my truck but Berry puts a hand on my shoulder. _Fuck. I’m not going anywhere am I?_

“Chloe, she will be in surgery for a long while. It will be hours before we know anything new about her condition. We need to get a statement from you at the station.” Berry looks behind me at what I assume is my car. “It’s best you not come back here, so you can drive to the station by yourself and we will be right behind you. Think you can do that without causing any trouble?”

_This dude is really pissing me off._ But I gotta get the cops to focus on Nathan as opposed to me. Nathan fled a crime scene whilst holding a gun and I’m here, willing to face the music. _That’s gotta work in my favour, right?_

* * *

 

** Author’s Note: **

**I don’t work for emergency services of any kind so I’m not sure if the reactions and protocol of the police and paramedics are entirely accurate. Then again, this is Arcadia Bay. A magical place where Blackwell students drink and take drugs on school property and no one seems to care or even notice.**

**I have some more planning to do with this story so I can’t say for sure how often the updates will be. If that bothers you then welcome to the wonderful, frustrating and inconclusive world of fan fiction.**


	3. Hopeless

**_Meanwhile in Seattle…_ **

“Oh. Fuck. FUCK!” She screams as her orgasm reaches its climax. _I never tire of that sound._ I follow suit and like always, Vanessa gets all giggly.

Once I roll off her Ness immediately lights up her post coital cigarette. “Every time. That is such a cliché that it’s an insult to clichés. Plus it’s not nice to put temptation in your husband’s way.” For as long as I’ve known my wife, we have both been smokers. However, in an attempt to set a good example for our daughter and to live long enough to see Grandchildren, we both agreed to quit. I went cold turkey but it seems Vanessa is clinging to her smoking days. Her compulsive counting of cigarettes gets on my nerves sometimes but it seems to be working for her.

“A cliché is a cliché for a reason Ryan. Besides over the last few weeks my smoking is slowly becoming strictly post sex.” Her tone is playful. She’s not wrong though. Ever since our daughter Maxine left for Blackwell, our sex life has increased ten-fold. _And I love it!_ I sigh with worry for my daughter. _I miss that kid so god damn much._ But what kind of father would I be if I stopped her from pursuing her dream? The day we left her at Blackwell Academy was a dark day. On the drive home I had stop at every gas station I saw just so I could cry without my wife seeing it.  

“Hey” Ness puts her cigarette in her bedside ashtray and places her hand on my chest. _She knows what I’m thinking._ “I miss Maxine too. But look on the bright side.” She kisses my cheek. “At least now we don’t have to be quiet.” I can’t help but laugh. She’s right again. _Leave it to Vanessa Caulfield to always lighten the mood._

“You think she’s okay?” I ask Vanessa.

“Being the new kid is a tough deal for anyone but she’ll pull through. I’m sure she has friends already. Not only that, I’m sure she’s reconnected with Chloe as well and they are surely making up for lost time.” _Ah yes, Chloe Price. Maxine’s best friend or rather spiritual sister._ Tearing those two apart right after Chloe lost her father was not a proud moment for me. It was downright shameful but what choice did I have? The Prescotts were buying property and sneakily shutting down local businesses left, right and centre. We would have been bankrupted if it wasn’t for my Seattle job offer. I had to ensure my family’s future no matter the cost. I know I hurt the Price family, but I’d do it again to keep my wife and daughter off the street.

My slight melancholic mood is disrupted by my phone. _Shit, I left it on my drawer._ It might be work so I get up and try my best to ignore Ness, eyeing my naked body whilst she playfully bites her lower lip. _Damn it woman. Give a guy a second to catch his breath._ I don’t recognise the number, but I answer anyway. “Hello?” I say in my usual tone. _This better be important._

“M-Mr Caulfield it’s Raymond Wells, Principal of Blackwell.” He sounds a bit unsure of himself, the Ray Wells I met a few weeks back was upstanding and seemed quite confident. _Why would he be calling?_ If Max got into trouble, I wouldn’t be mad. A small part of me would be relieved in fact. _That girl needs to act like a teenager while she still can._

“Sir there’s been an incident” Ray states before I can respond to his greeting. His tone makes every hair on my body stand up. _How bad can it be?_

“Tell me what happened, Ray. Now.” I can’t hide the panic in my voice. I don’t know recognise the man in my mirror. He looks terrified and powerless.

_What’s happened to my Maxine? Raped? Assaulted? Expelled?_

“Max has been involved in a shooting. She’s in critical condition and on her way to the hospital. You and your wife need to get here right now.”

For the briefest moment, I feel nothing. Like my brain just went dark. It soon passes and the first thing I feel are the tears rolling down my eyes. My hands are shaking and I can’t get them to stop.

_My daughter, my light. The best thing I ever did with my life, shot? This can’t be real. That shit only happens at ghetto schools._

All I see now is red.

“WHO?” I shout into my phone. “WHO SHOT MY LITTLE GIRL?!”

_I’ll kill who ever did it. Slowly and painfully. They will suffer._

“I can’t discuss that over the phone Ryan. You need to be here. You can talk to the police once you get to the hospital.” Having no interest in anything else he has to say, I kill the call and turn to face my wife. Vanessa’s face looks like the one I just saw in the mirror.

_She can’t die. She can’t. Not my little Max._

The fire within me is extinguished and it’s replaced with something worse. Gut wrenching, unfiltered fear.

* * *

**Back in Arcadia Bay…**

The shitty generic clock hanging above the door tells me it’s just after eight-thirty. _I’m pretty sure we have the same model at home._ I’ve never had issues with claustrophobia before but being in this cramped room for so many hours is starting to get to me. _I need food, I need a smoke and I need to know if Max is still breathing._ Of course, I can’t find out since the damn cops took my phone. They said they will give it back but there is no telling when that will be. They may still arrest me for the whole blackmail thing.

These past couple of hours have been difficult to say the least. I’ve had to recant my story to three different people. First there was Berry, then there was Lieutenant Rossi. Both seemed like they were in over their heads which didn’t really surprise me. _I guess small town cops aren’t meant to deal with this kinda shit._

The detective assigned to the case was different though. I’ve never seen her before so I assume she works over the whole county as opposed to all the other cops here. Despite my emotional turmoil, I was able to open up to her about everything that went down between Nathan and I. Her questions were sharp, intelligent and it was clear that she wasn’t just reciting some detective playbook. Jodi Silver knows her shit. _This ain’t her first rodeo._

The door opens much to my relief and Detective Silver enters and quickly shuts the door behind her. She’s holding a folder and bottle of water. I’d say Silver is somewhere in her early thirties. She’s quite tall, a slight tan and has jet black hair which is currently in ponytail. She strikes me as the type of woman who ain’t afraid to thrive in a man’s world. Perhaps she was in the military before she became a cop, she certainly looks tough enough.

“Sorry I’ve been gone so long, there have been a few developments since you’ve been in here.” Silver’s statement gets my attention. _What kind of developments?_ “Drink” she says matter-of-factly and hands me a bottle of water. “You look like shit.” _What a coincidence, I happen to feel like shit._ Wasting no time, I open the bottle and take a mouthful of cold water. _Fuck my throat was hella dry._

I thank her and she immediately gets to the point as always. “First, I called the hospital.” _My heart stops beating._ “Max is still in surgery and will be for a while. I doubt we won’t know anything new regarding her condition until tomorrow.” _FUCK! All this waiting is killing me._ I want to make scene but instead keep my mouth shut. “Secondly, your Mother is here. It seems your step dad told her everything that’s happened.” She seems a bit agitated by the fact.

“Is she okay?” I ask before Silver can continue.

Silver reaches across the table and takes a drink of water from the same bottle she just gave me. _Good, I can’t stand germaphobes._ As she stops drinking she shakes her head in answer to my question. “No. She’s not. She’s heartbroken Chloe.” She gives me a look that says ‘you made your bed, now lie in it’. “I’ll let you see her in a minute but first I gotta confirm a few things.” She reaches into the folder she brought in with her and takes out a sheet of paper which is encased in plastic. She hands it to me and gives me an expectant look.

****_HEY ASSHOLE_  
we need to talk  
or im going to tell  
everybody what  
you did  
and you’re going to  
pay motherfucker

It’s the note I put in Nathan’s car on Sunday. _So what? I already admitted I tried to blackmail him._ “Yeah, I wrote that. I slipped it in Nathan’s car the day after he drugged me.” I scoff. “No point in hiding now. Besides I already told you everything.”

“I assumed as much.” The lack of surprise on her face is palpable. “Nathan’s dorm room has been searched and that note was found along with a few other things that corroborate your story.” Silver’s words give me comfort, temporary as it may be. _She believes me?_ “I won’t lie to you kid. Pretty much all the officers in this building thought you were full of shit given you have a history of petty crime and Prescott is the golden goose.”

“What else did you find?” I ask, unable to mask my curiosity.

“For the purpose of the integrity of this investigation I can’t tell you everything we found but I can tell you that Nathan’s bedside lamp was damaged.” Silver smiles slightly. “Maybe it’s good you missed his balls. What I’m trying to say is that your story combined with what we found in Nathan’s room makes him our number one priority. We also have collected statements from about twenty Blackwell students who all say the same thing. That Nathan was seen holding a handgun right after the shooting and that he was sprinting like a mad man towards his car.”

_So I’m not going to jail? Or am I?_ “I’m glad you believe me but I gotta ask, what happens to me now?” I take another drink. _Add alcohol to my list of needs_.

“What happens now is we release you.” A gargantuan sigh escapes me. “We won’t be charging you with anything, at least not for now. There are some here who want to see you charged but we have bigger fish to fry.”

“That’s good. It is a relief to kn-“

Silver cuts me off. “I’m not finished. There are two things I have to ask of you and if you care about getting justice for your friend, you will listen.” _Fuck. This lady can go from understanding to total hard ass cop in the blink of an eye._ “One, do not talk to the press. In the morning this town will be swarmed with reporters looking for a scoop at any cost. Your involvement hasn’t been made public as of yet but some of these reporter types can actually be good at getting to the truth, instead of just making their own version of it. This case becoming a media frenzy is inevitable but for now I need to focus on finding Nathan Prescott instead of doing PR damage control. Think you can do that for me?”

I nod in response. “No problem. I’ll keep my mouth shut. What’s the second thing?” There is so much I wanna ask her right now but more than anything, I just want to get out of this fucking room.

“That you NOT leave town. As the case develops I have no doubt that we will need to question you again and if you leave Arcadia I will be forced to assume the worst. That you are running and if you are running, every cop, judge and lawyer will believe you to be guilty. Even if you aren’t.”

I get the point she is trying to make. _No matter how much I want to, I won’t run._

“This isn’t an order from a cop Chloe. This is a piece of friendly advice and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay put.” It’s clear that Silver doesn’t want to see me in cuffs for blackmail, but I know she’s not afraid to put me in them if that’s the way its gotta be.

“Leaving this shit pit of a town has been on my to do list for years now.” Silver looks like she’s about to scald me. _She’s a scary lady._ “I won’t though. I can’t leave Max.” I can tell that she believes me. Besides, getting on this cops bad side doesn’t strike me as a step in the right direction.

We talk for a few more minutes and it seems Silver wants to be out finding Nathan instead of questioning me. Luckily every cop on the west coast now knows Nathan’s face so he can’t run forever. I sign my witness statement and my phone is returned to me by Silver. _I’ll check it later._

Silver gets to her feet and leaves the room. With the door still open, she seems to be looking at someone. “Mrs Madsen” she says professionally and jerks her head in my direction. _I hate it when people call her that._

In walks Mom and my heart breaks for what seems like the millionth time today. Her eyes are puffy, red and are full of worry. “Chloe” Mom says weakly. I throw myself in her arms and Silver shuts the door behind us so we can have a little privacy. There is so much I wanna say to her but I can’t find the words. Instead we just hold each other and cry for what feels like an eternity.

_Oh Max, I’m so sorry. I’m such a shit person and yet she’s the one who’s life is hanging by a thread. That bullet was meant for me, wasn’t it?_

* * *

My eyes open slowly. _These tiles are cold to lie on._ Everything feels fuzzy and in the distance. I take in my surroundings and eventually get to my feet. I’m back in the Blackwell girl’s room? _How did I get here?_

I blink and suddenly the walls are covered in graffiti, my graffiti. The same graffiti I left as a parting gift to Blackwell after my expulsion.

I blink again, and the walls and floors are coated in blood. _Oh God._

Another blink and everything is back to normal.

The sound of a flushing toilet startles me and the door to one of the stalls open at a snail’s pace. My dead father, William Price walks out and starts to wash his hands. _Not again. Please. I miss him so much, but I can’t go through this again._

He sighs. “Well kiddo, you really gone and done it now haven’t you.”

“I know Dad. I know.” I look down in shame unable to maintain eye contact with him. When I look up I shriek at the two girls standing behind my Dad.

Rachel and Max are both staring at me, their faces are cold and emotionless. Blood is dripping from Rachel’s left arm whilst Max’s abdomen is bleeding furiously.

“Shit kiddo, you’re now two for two. Being your best friend should come with serious hazard pay don’t you think? I mean how hard is it to have a best friend and not have them die?”

“No.” I respond to dad’s cruel question. “They’re not dead. Rachel’s just missing, and Max is gonna make it. She has to. You’ll see, Dad. Max will recover, and Rachel will come back. The three of us will be inseparable and we’ll all be happy. It will be just like the old days, but so much better.”

A ghost of a smile crosses his face and he shakes his head. “Yeah. Sure. And I’ll crawl out of my grave and re-marry your mother. Right after I run step douche out of town and get the ring back from whatever pawn shop Joyce sold it to. These are nice little fantasies, but blind hope won’t get you anywhere Chloe.” My face falls at his harsh words, but I know he’s right.

“It’s been six months Chloe” Rachel places her bloodied arm over my shoulder and some if it gets on my skin. _Fucking Damon._ I can never get the image of him sticking his knife through Rachel’s arm while I just there like a coward out of my head. _Is it weird that I’m getting used to being in blood?_ “You don’t really believe I’m still alive, do you?” Rachel’s question floors me. _What am I supposed to believe?_

“Are you?” I ask, quite certain of the response I am going to get.

She frowns at me with a look of self-righteousness and judgement. “How the fuck should I know?” She suddenly vanishes and is back standing next to Max with the same cold expressions she had before.

Dad starts to wash his hands again, but this time the water coming from the tap is red. I can’t stop my breathing from becoming heavy. He splashes some of it on his face and it’s like a scene from a horror film. One side of his face is caved in, there are pieces of skull and brain tissue on the floor and one of his eye balls is hanging from its socket. “Sometimes, blood is inevitable.” He states, seeming indifferent to his appearance. _Stop. Stop._ He snaps his fingers, and everything is back to normal again, Max and Rachel are still giving me the same stare.

“Sometimes we think we can stop the blood, but we just end up channelling it instead and someone else ends up paying the price.” His head turns to my friends. “Max knows plenty about that, don’t you Max?” Max briefly locks eyes with Dad and smiles. She gives him a little wink and raises her right hand, as if reaching out for something. _What the fuck does that mean?_ Blood starts to pour from her nose.

“I DON”T UNDERSTAND!” I shout at Max.

Dad starts to laugh. “Sorry sweetheart. It’s sort of an inside joke.”

I ignore my dad. “Why didn’t you tell me you were back Max!? Why!?” My words of desperation do nothing to change Max’s blank face.

My dad looks at his watch. I guess it’s time. It never gets easier. “Well that’s our cue. Time to go. Ladies?” Max and Rachel step aside like mindless puppets at Dad’s simple request. He steps in between them and takes their offered hands. The sound of a loud engine and blaring horn fill the bathroom. _No. Don’t take them too. Please._ “I told you once that everything was going to be okay.” He shakes his head and looks so uncertain. “Maybe I was wrong.”

Max’s face goes from blank to terrified in a nanosecond. “Jeff Jeff Jeff.” She says the same word over and over, just like she did when she got shot. _What does it mean? Who is Jeff? Why did she say that name?_

“MAX!” I shout at her over the deafening sound of the truck horn. “I love you. Please don’t di-“. A blinding light consumes the bathroom and the truck comes smashing through the wall. I close my eyes praying to wake up.

I open my eyes slowly and wipe away my tears. I look around and the walls are covered with a phrase written in my own hand writing. ‘There will be consequences’

The sight of three massive puddles of blood and bone force me to my knees. I scream.

* * *

“NOOOOOOO!” My eyes snap open and I’m breathing as if I was about to die.

Before I realise where I am, a door flies open and a woman in a night gown runs over to me and wraps her arms around me. “It’s okay. It’s okay sweetie. It was just a dream.” The sound of her voice and the smell of her shampoo tell me that I’m awake and in my room.

“Mom” I say as I hug her. “It’s my fault. It’s my fault Mom. Why does everyone I love end up dead? Bongo, Dad, Rachel, Max. When will it end?” _Will she die too?_ My mother doesn’t deserve to die. _I do._ “When will it fucking end!?” I scream, surrounding to my sorrow and fear.

“Hush sweetie. I’m here. We’ll get through this.” Mom tightens her hold on me and cries as well. I don’t know who’s trying to convince, herself or me.

* * *

 

** Author’s Note: **

**While the majority of this story will be told from Chloe’s POV, I’ve decided to add in sprinkles of other perspectives in an attempt to keep things fresh. Ryan and Vanessa Caulfield are both blank canvasses as far as I can tell so I’m gonna enjoy giving them their personalities as I see fit. I hope we get to see them in the upcoming bonus episode of BTS.**

**I’m not particularly happy with how my dream sequence turned out, but it is what it is. Capturing the feeling of Chloe’s dreams from BTS was harder than I thought.**


	4. About Last Night

The early morning sun has become an annoying stranger to me over the past few years. Ever since I was expelled from school there has been no reason to get up early so as a result I have become something of a night owl. After everything that transpired yesterday, it was a miracle that I was able to fall asleep. Even after my creepy dream, Mom stayed with me until I drifted off again. She hasn’t hugged me like that since Dad died. _And here I was thinking that the creepy Dad dreams were a thing of the past._ I smirk at my stupid thought. _I figured Max was a thing of the past too, but here we are._

I stretch my limbs in my usual fashion and do my best not to let myself cry again. I think the initial shock has finally worn off but Max getting shot is still all I think about. _Why didn’t she call me? Why didn’t she visit? Fuck, Chloe. Stop asking yourself that!_

Wake and bake has become a morning ritual for me but not today. I’ll be talking to Max’s parents and maybe even the cops or worse, the press so smelling like weed is probably a bad idea. _I guess I’ll settle for coffee instead._ My phone goes off. I have a text from an unknown number, lovely.

**Unknown number: Chloe this is Detective Silver. Just thought I’d let you know that Max is of surgery and in the ICU. The doctors and I will need to chat with Max’s parents first. I’m told they will be arriving in town shortly. I know you want to visit her but please wait until after 10am. They will need space.**

_Fuck! I’ve ruined their lives haven’t I?_ No parent should have to see their child like that. I add Silver’s number to my contacts and make a cowardly decision.

**Chloe: Thanks for the update. I’ll come by after 10. Can you do me a favour and tell Ryan and Vanessa about my involvement in all this? I know it’s a dick move but it may be better for them to hear it from a cop.**

**Silver: Sure kid. I was gonna spare you that conversation anyway.**

I feel relieved and ashamed at the same time. It’s a weird feeling. Maybe it will give Ryan and Vanessa some time to calm their urges to kill me if Silver is the one to tell them about my involvement. Or maybe they won’t blame me, they will just blame Nathan. _In a perfect world, that’s what they’ll do._

Since Silver will not likely tell me anything, I get out of bed and sit at my laptop. I wonder how much of the case has gone public so far.

_Fuck this whole thing has gone global! I guess school shootings often do._ Over the past fifteen minutes I’ve found articles on news sites from all over the country. Not to mention stories coming from Europe, Asia, Australia. Pretty much everywhere. Some are more detailed than others, but in general they all say the same thing. Both Max and Nathan’s names have been made public which is no surprise but thankfully my name hasn’t been mentioned, although a few articles I’ve read have hinted at a possible ‘third party’. It’s at least comforting to know that Nathan’s face is being plastered all over the news as the culprit. _Even with a rich daddy who is probably helping him hide out, he can’t stay in the shadows forever._

I eye Max’s messenger bag, along with David’s gun. After I got home from the station last night I got caught up with telling Mom and David everything that I forgot about them. David has to know that one of his guns is missing by now so I may as well bite the bullet, so to speak and give it back to him. _Jesus I am so hella glad that I didn’t bring that fucking thing with me when I confronted Nathan._ The cops would have found it and then I would have been fucked.

Deciding not to play ‘what if’ all morning, I take Max’s bag and empty it’s contents onto my bed. Mostly it’s just generic stuff that any student would have but it’s the broken polaroid camera and what I assume is Max’s journal that get my attention. A quick inspection of Max’s camera tells me that the damn thing is broken, beyond repair I think. It must have been broken when she got shot. I shiver at the memory. _Don’t think about it Price, don’t think about it._ Maybe Max could fix it, if she ever has the chance to take a photograph ever again.

Something about this camera seems oddly familiar. _This camera is just like…_ My eyes waste no time in finding Dad’s old camera on my shelf. I know it still works so I pick it up and dust it off. “Dad, this camera is yours I know but I was never the shutter bug. If-no _when_ Max is better she will need a new camera and I know you always cared for Max.” _Look at me, I’m talking to a fucking camera. I’ve gone full Private Pyle._

I put Max’s camera where Dad’s used to be and put Dad’s in it’s new home. _Her camera will be here for her, waiting. If it can be fixed that is._ I put everything back in Max’s bag. Everything except of course, for Max’s journal. I feel like it’s staring at me. _Don’t do it Price. So uncool! DO NOT READ HER JOURNAL._

It’s been nearly half an hour and I’m still having a staring contest with Max Caulfield’s inanimate journal. _Fuck this! I wanna know what kind of Max Caulfield has become over the past five years and this is the only way to know how._ Silver said that Max had only been a Blackwell student for a month, so I doubt any of her class mates could tell me much. Before I can stop myself, I open her journal, much to my shame.

The first thing I notice is that most of the pages are blank. I flip through the handful of pages that have writing in them and it looks like she’s only had this thing for a few months. The earliest entry is from July 10th and the most recent was from October 1st. Turning back to the July 10th entry, I start to read.

* * *

_She was so happy about getting in to Blackwell. On scholarship no less, like me. That’s my Max._

_She wrote about me? She actually mentioned me by name? She didn’t forget about me? She still remembers our pirate adventures? I could never forget the adventures of Captain Bluebeard and Long Max Silver._

_She never found her groove with boys? That is so damn cute. It’s comforting to know she is still hella shy._

_Blackwell sucks ass? Now you’re speaking my language Max. She was so psyched to come here but her opinion of Blackwell changed so quick. She deserves better than this place._

_Victoria Chase? INSTANT JUDGEMENT? If I find out that Chase has been bullying her, I’ll snap that cunts neck without a second thought. Or perhaps someone needs some more tea, except with cyanide instead of muscle relaxers._

_Hang on. She befriended Warren Graham? That sci-fi geek from Ms Grant’s class? I think he and Eliot used to hang out back in the old days. Please God, don’t let Warren be like Eliot. Max has enough problems right now._

_‘Nathan Prescott is Victoria’s male clone, with way more money and attitude, if that’s possible.’ I can’t help but laugh. Fucking spot on Max._

_I’m glad she at least had Kate Marsh to hang out with. Maybe I’ll see her at the hospital later today._

_Mark Jefferson. That’s the photography teacher Rachel mentioned. I’ve never met him, but she always said he was totally hot. It seems Max agrees, judging from these journal entries. If she hadn’t gone missing, her and Max would have met. Would they have been friends I wonder?_

* * *

After a much needed shower, I realise that I can’t wear my jacket or my beanie. Even if I got Max’s blood out of them I still wouldn’t wanna wear them ever again. I don’t need to wear those fucked up memories, much less think about them. I may as well burn them when I get the chance. I dress in my usual jeans and boots along with a clean t shirt and one of my old black hoodies. _I’ll need to source a new jacket at some point._

When I get down stairs, Mom is putting away the dishes but she is moving so slow. Usually she moves and works with scary Germanic efficiency when she’s in a kitchen but not today it seems. As soon as she sees me she hugs me tightly. Morning hugs have never been our thing so I guess yesterday really did change everything.

“How’d you sleep sweetie?” Mom asks, her voice dripping with maternal concern.

“Somehow I got back to sleep after…well.” Mom’s eyes lower. “Look, uh. I got a text from that detective you met last night. Max’s parents will be here soon and she asked me not to visit until after ten. I don’t know what your plans were, but I thought you should know.”

Mom puts the last plate away and suddenly seems helpless. “I always wanted to see Ryan and Ness again, but not like this. This is going to crush them.”

“They are gonna kill me when they find out th-“

Mom cuts me off. “Chloe I want have you thinking that this is on you. That Prescott boy is the one who bought a gun to school. He drugged you. He threatened you with a gun and he is the one who shot Max!” Her tirade ceases and she hugs me again. “I never told you this but I used to blame myself for your Father. If I hadn’t called for a ride or if I had called earlier or later on maybe-“

_I can’t tell her, but a small part of me used to blame her for Dad’s accident as well._

“Damn it Mom. That’s different and you know it. You had no idea what was gonna happen that day. No one did.” I suddenly see Mom in a whole new light. I was so fucking selfish when Dad died. I acted like I was the only one who was hurt.

“Is it really all that different Chloe?” Her question throws me off balance. _Maybe she’s right._ “Look I want to keep busy today. I’ve gotta get to the diner, but I’ll be at the hospital later in the day. If anything happens with Max or her parents, call me right away. Okay?” I nod in response. “You should know that since there is no telling how long Max is gonna be in hospital for, I’m gonna offer Ryan and Ness our guest room.”

_Max’s parents sleeping in the room next to mine? Awesome. That means they can slit my throat while I’m asleep whenever they want._

“That’s a good idea Mom. Better they stay here then at some crappy motel.” Best I hold my tongue until I know how Max’s parents feel about me and my involvement in the shooting.

Mom gathers her shit and gives me one last hug. “I’ve gotta run. I love you.” _It’s weird she’s saying that to me again._

“Love you too,” I respond softly. Mom quickly turns around is out the door in a flash. I suspect because she doesn’t wanna cry in front of me.

I put Max’s bag down on the dining table and help myself to two cups of coffee along with the bacon that Mom left for me. _Breakfast of champions._ In spite of my bleak mood, bacon always helps.

“Chloe? Have you got a second?” David calls from the garage. _Gee I wonder what this could be about. Doesn’t take Sherlock to figure out that I took one of his guns._

I take Max’s bag which contains his gun and head into the garage to find David standing beside the dryer, right next to his gun cabinet. The internal light for his cabinet is switched on it’s clear what’s about to happen. _Here we go._ “Look Chloe. I know yesterday was tough on you, it was tough on everyone. Especially your Mother. I know the timing of this ain’t exactly perfect but di-“

I cut him off mid-sentence. “I have it, alright.” I can’t hide annoyance in my voice. I pull David’s revolver out and offer it to him. “Just take it. I don’t ever wanna see, let alone hold another gun ever again.”

He takes the offered weapon and proceeds to check it. The look of relief on his face is obvious when he opens the gun and finds six bullets. He clears the chambers of ammunition and carefully examines them. I think he’s trying to determine if the gun has been fired recently. “Shit Chloe, if the police had found this last night…”

“I know, I know. I left it in my car when I confronted Nathan in the bathroom.”

David sighs heavily, “Smart choice. Look, the fact that you gave this back to me and that it hasn’t been fired says a lot.” He opens the gun cabinet and puts the gun I stole back in it’s rightful place. After securing the cabinet with a big ass padlock, he turns back to me. “Since you gave it back to me, perhaps we can keep this whole ‘stolen gun’ thing between us?”

My eye brows shoot up in surprise. _This, I did not see coming._ Maybe it’s compassion. Or maybe it’s that the gun is registered in his name and he wants to avoid any red tape.

* * *

My phone tells me it’s nine thirty. Almost time. David has left for Blackwell so over the past few hours all I have done is pace nervously around the house and smoked half a pack of smokes. “Fuck this” I say aloud to myself and gather up my stuff. I head outside to find a pleasant overcast in the sky. _Looks like rain is coming too._

On my way to the hospital I turn on my car radio and my usual station is just finishing up a vaguely familiar punk song.

“Stan Stanwick here on 87.9. Well it’s a dark day here in Oregon. I’m referring of course to the tragic shooting at the prestigious Blackwell Academy yesterday. The victim, Maxine Caulfield is still in critical condition at the local hospital and details are still sketchy regarding the top suspect, Nathan Prescott. Joining us know via phone is one of our long time listeners. Blackwell student, Justin Williams.”

_Justin? What the fuck?_ I turn up the volume.

“Justin, thanks for calling in. Why don’t you tell us how things are at Blackwell right now?”

“Hey Stan. Things around here right now are pretty quiet. Classes have been cancelled and everyone is just numb after what happened yesterday.” 

 “No surprise there. What about Maxine? Did you know her?”

“Everyone around here called her Max. We had a few classes together, but she’s only been a student here for a month. Plus, she was the shy type. Overall, she was a really nice girl who loved her photography and didn’t deserve this. Nathan Prescott is gonna pay.”

“Ah. You beat me to the punch Justin. Nathan Prescott is still listed as a suspect. Your thoughts?”

“He’s no suspect Stan, he shot Max. Everyone knows it. I, along with like twenty other people saw him running to his car with a damn gun in his hand. Everyone at school just wants Max to pull through this though.”

_Preach it Justin._

“I think that’s what we all want Justin. Thanks for your call.”

“Anytime dude.”

The call ends and Stan starts to play some song I’ve never heard of so I switch my radio off and turn in to the hospital. _Fuck. Here we go._ I don’t know what’s scarier, seeing Max in the ICU or facing her parents. “Time to find out.”

* * *

 

** Author’s Note: **

**A few things to cover here. Firstly, if you have played LIS as much as me, you may have noticed two doors in the Price household located between Chloe’s room and the bathroom. One is clearly a closet whilst the other is something of a mystery. So for my story, it’s gonna be a third bedroom that can accommodate Ryan and Vanessa Caulfield.**

**Many of the self sacrifice stories I have read on here have Max’s journal contain all of her entries made over the course of the game. The rules of Max’s time travel are somewhat subjective, so I believe that after the ‘photo focus’ ended (after Max was shot), the journal would have reverted back to its original state. May I point out that in the alternate/wheelchair reality, Max’s journal contains none of the events prior. If this sounds a bit to technical, that’s because it is. Time travel is such a mind fuck! Also you may have to read Max’s prologue journal entries to understand Chloe’s comments.**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed and followed this story. And thank you to everyone who said my dream sequence in the previous chapter sucked. IT DID! But as a writer, I’m gonna suck it up and move forward.**


	5. Lost Lambs

**_Meanwhile at Blackwell Academy…_ **

“…Holy Mary, Mother of God. Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” I finish my fifth consecutive Hail Mary, make the sign of the cross and get off my knees, much to my relief. _Excessive kneeling hurts._

Looking around my dorm room, I realise that there is nothing else for me to do. I spent most of last night crying, praying and talking to Dad on the phone and now I feel so… hopeless. All I’ve been doing this morning is menial chores to keep myself busy whilst I wait for any news about Max. I’ve washed my bedsheets, caught up on my homework and cleaned out Alice’s cage. Nothing I do can distract me from the events of yesterday. I shiver at the thought of seeing that blue haired girl Chloe covered in Max’s blood. _I wonder if they really were friends._ Max never mentioned her before.

_As if the Vortex party last week and the viral video weren’t enough, now my friend is in the hospital and might die!_ I have only known Max for a month, but I love hanging out with her. She’s so nice and never judged me for my religious beliefs or how I dress.

_Oh no. I’m gonna start crying again._ I quickly take Alice out of her cage and hold her to me. Over the past few days Alice has been bearing most the brunt when it has come to my crying. Her adorable twitching nose presses against my cheek and I’m able to gather my composure. I give her a few kisses as a ‘thank you’ and put her back in my cage. She starts drinking from her water feeder and dozes off shortly after. _Sleep tight Alice, Momma loves you._

I was hoping to talk to Max about the video and maybe see if she would come with me when I talked to the police, but I think it’s too late for that now. I know Nathan Prescott did something to me the night of the party last week but I don’t care about that anymore. _He has to pay for what he did to Max._

My wayward thoughts are halted by a text from my little sister.

**Lynn: i told my friends that my big sister is friends with Max Caulfield. They asked me 2 send u their support.**

_Awww. That’s so sweet_. On top of that, I’m even happier that Lynn finally has friends now. I can’t help my smile. Maybe I can stop worrying about her.

**Lynn: is there any news about her yet? Teachers wont say. Every1 in class is talking about it**

**Kate: Still waiting. Tell your friends I say thanks for the support. TTYL love you**

**Lynn: love u 2**

I don’t normally say that to my sisters but after yesterday, I have to let them know how much they mean to me.

Unable to stay confined in this room anymore, I step out into the hall to find something odd. All my fellow dorm mates are gazing down towards Max’s room and I notice two police officers, one is holding a roll of yellow tape. _What is going on?_

“What’s this all about?” I ask in no particular direction.

Stella Hill from Mr Jefferson’s photography class turns to me. “The police are sealing off Max’s room I think. Why would they do that? She didn’t do anything wrong.” _That must be what the yellow tape is for, it’s like the ‘crime scene’ tape they have on TV._ “And it’s not like we’d steal any of her stuff,” she adds in frustration.

_Her stuff?_ Inspiration hits me. There is something I can now do for Max.

“Excuse me, o-officers?” I ask nervously. They notice me with a look of annoyance on their faces. All the other girls look at me curiously. I can feel them judging me, _almost_. “Before you put that tape up, may I please take somethings that belong to Max? I-I’d like to bring them to her in the hospital.” My request makes the two officers share a knowing look. “Please. I just need to do something for my friend,” I further plead.

“Are you seriously gonna say no?!” Alyssa chimes in.

“Yeah come on. Let her in,” Dana says in support.

Before I know, all the girls in my dorm are pleading aggressively in support of me. Even Victoria is helping my case. _I am so touched. Thank you girls. Darn it! Don’t cry Kate, not now._

“FINE!” One of the officers shouts, and the dorm is once again silent. He takes a step back from Max’s door and jerks his head towards. “You have two minutes,” he says to me coldly. _He makes me uncomfortable._

I quickly dash into my room and grab the small gym bag I keep under my bed. The quiet officer lets me in and I start to look around for little keep sakes that are appropriate for a hospital room. First things first, I water Max’s plant. Its leaves are turning brown so maybe this will save it.

On Max’s bed I spot a few things that I’m sure Max would love to have in her hospital room. I put a hand sewed red pillow with ‘Max’ stitched on it along with a brown teddy bear which is missing an eye in my bag.

I think what Max would want most though is of course photos. When we first met, Max said that it took forever to put up all the polaroids that are above her bed so I instead opt for a few that are next to her desk.

One is of Max with a bearded man who I assume is her father. I sigh at the thought of what her parents must be going through right now. _Poor Mr and Mrs Caulfield._

Another is of her at a hockey rink, wearing a red jersey. _Weird. She never said she was a sports fan._ She still has braces in this shot, so it must be an old one. Maybe she isn’t a much of a fan as she used to be.

The last one is strange. Max is sitting on a sculpture that appears to be a troll with two friends. _Well, Seattle has heaps of art so I guess it makes sense._

_There has to be something else I can take to her._ I don’t want to invade her privacy too much, but I open on her drawers and find yet another photo. Max is much younger in this one and she looks so cute dressed as a pirate. The girl she’s standing next to is dressed as a pirate as well. _They look so close. Like real friends._ Actually, the other girl in the photo looks oddly familiar but I can’t place her.

“Time’s up,” one of the officers announces. After I place the photos in my bag, I head out of the dorms. _I have to get to the hospital. I can’t wait around any longer._

* * *

Outside the dorms Warren Graham is walking around in circles. He looks like he’s losing his mind. _This must be hard for him too. Both Warren and I have only known Max for a short time, but over the past few weeks it’s become clear that he likes her._

I walk up to Warren and put a hand on his shoulder to get him to stop pacing like a mad man. “Warren. Warren, stop.”

He stops and faces me. His eyes are red and puffy. It looks like he’s been crying as much as I have. “Kate. Sorry. I’m just going crazy and I can’t stay couped up in my room any longer.”

“I know the feeling,” I say in response and I hug him. _He and I have never been on a hugging basis but it seems like he needs it._ “Come on, lets sit down.”

Warren sits on a bench and I join him. “This isn’t fair Kate.”

“I know but we have to be str-“

Warren cuts me off. “Max didn’t deserve that. She was fucking innocent!” He stands up and starts kicking and punching a tree. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!,” he screams between each strike. He’s starting to scare me. _I’ve never seen him like this._ “Fuck you Prescott! You! Mother! FUCKER!”

“Warren stop! Please. This isn’t you.” I try to hold him back but he’s too strong. “This won’t save Max.” After a few more hits, Warren’s hands clearly can’t take anymore. They are swollen and bloodied. The sight of them makes me flinch slightly. _No more blood._

He sits back on the bench and breaks down in tears. _I know I need to get to the hospital but Warren needs a shoulder to cry on, and so do I._

It takes a few minutes, but we are finally all cried out. “Warren, I have go take care of something. Will you be okay on your own?” My questions makes him sit up straight and wipe his eyes. It’s wrong but I can’t tell Warren I’m going to the hospital. He will wanna come with me and I don’t think he’s in the right frame of mind yet. _Not that I am._

“Yeah. I’ll manage,” Warren says quietly.

“You should see the nurse about your hand.” He nods in response and taking my gym bag, I make my way to the bus stop.

Blackwell is usually so lively, but not today. The main grounds are deserted except for a few scattered loners who are reading. _This place feels…dead._ It’s so quiet around here you can actually hear the autumn leaves hitting the pavement. _This isn’t Blackwell._

* * *

Once I’m seated on the bus, I check my phone for the time but notice several texts. _Since when do get this many messages?_

**Dana: kate that was so cool what you did b4. all the girls r really proud of u. and im sorry. i should have helped u last week at the party. Juliet and me r gonna try and get the video taken down. Good luck at the hospital. Give Max a hug for me. X**

Dana Ward might be a cheer leader, but she’s always defied the stereotype. She’s always been nice to everyone that I’ve seen, and she never gave me crap about the video.

**Alyssa: You were awesome Kate! Give Max our best. Stella says  that you rock**

**Warren: Thanks for earlier. It hurts 2 text. Sorry if i freaked you out. TTYL**

**Unknown number: Sorry Kate. I wish you could forgive me, even if I don’t deserve it**

_Who could that unknown number be?_ It must be about the video so it could be Victoria or maybe it’s Taylor. I wish they could at least have the courage to name themselves.

It’s sad but ever since Max was shot yesterday, no one has teased me about the video. _As if the attention span of Blackwell student was equal to a gold fish._ It seems the only thing to make a scandal go away is an even bigger scandal.

_If Max not getting shot meant that everyone would start calling me ‘viral slut’ again, then I’d take it._


	6. Face to Face

The hospital parking lot is hella more crowded than normal and it takes all but two seconds to figure out why that is. _Mother fucking bottom feeding, blood sucking parasitic reporters! Fuck all those rats!_ There are about thirty of the fuckers trolling the main entrance, all eager for an exclusive at any cost. The thought of them press harassing Ryan and Vanessa makes my fucking blood boil.

After finding somewhere to park and taking a few minutes to psych myself up, I make my way to the main entrance, nervous about the dozens of reporters that I need to get past. _Relax Price, your involvement in this hasn’t gone public yet so they should have no reason to bother you. Besides, I promised Silver I wouldn’t talk to the press._

None of them seem to take any notice of me much to my relief as get closer and closer. Nor do any cameras turn in my direction. _Thank fuck for that._ In addition to the press, there are also two cops standing outside the main entrance. One is on his phone whilst the other is standing guard making sure none the parasites get past them. I’m not sure if they are live or not but several of the reporters are on the air.

The chatter amongst the reporters is like nails on a chalk board.

“…after yesterdays tragic shooting at Blackwell. Miss Caulfield’s condition is still unknown.”

“Maxine has been described as quiet and observant and…”

“… generous benefactor of Blackwell, Sean Prescott can not be reached for comment.”

“Shit, what about her parents? Any info on them yet?”

_Fucking bastards, they are talking about someone’s daughter._

Once the automated doors close behind me, I put all thoughts of the press aside and approach the receptionist. Before I can talk to her, my phone buzzes.

**Silver: Chloe one of the uniforms outside told me you are downstairs in reception. Room 781. Meet in the waiting area.**

_Room 781? 781?_ That’s a number I’ve never been able to get out of my head for three and a half years. _Out of all the rooms in this hospital, it had to be the one that Rachel stayed in after the whole ‘Damon incident’._ Something doesn’t add up. I recall the floor Rachel was on not being an ICU and Silver said that’s where Max is. _What am I missing?_

My heart rate slows then unexpectantly quickens at the thought of facing Max’s parents, which may be less than a minute away. _Don’t run. No matter how much you want to._

I step into the surprisingly empty elevator and can’t help recall the last time I was in this same metal box. It was a few days after Rachel was stabbed, when she was being discharged.

* * *

Despite everything that’s happened, Rachel looks so happy. She must be so excited to finally get the hell out of here and go home. _Even though home is kinda fucked at the moment for her._

“So is there anything else I need to sign?” Rose asks the medical receptionist. I feel so bad for her. Rachel has hardly been able to maintain eye contact with Rose ever since she learned that Rose is her adoptive mother. _It’s not fair on Rose. She’s an awesome mom based on what I have seen._

“No Mrs Amber, everything is ready for your daughter to head home,” the middle aged receptionist responds in a tone that I’m sure she reserves for concerned parents.

“Thank you,” Rose says to the receptionist. “Come on girls, time to go.”

“Where’s Dad?” Rachel asks. “I thought he might have been here.” I think her asking that is more of a formality. She doesn’t wanna see him, not after I told her what he’s done. _Fuck you James._

“Oh he’s w-working late again,” Rose answers with no conviction in her words. _No one believes that Rose._ As much as I despise James Amber, at least he is making an effort to give Rachel space. “He also has to finish dealing with the break in we had on Sunday.” My eyes meet Rachels in a knowing look. _Enjoy your last days at Blackwell Eliot. Fucking creeper._

My phone buzzes, thankfully distracting all three of us from the obvious lie Rose just told.

**Victoria: See bitch? UR 15 mins r up! Blackwell will not miss u. enjoy the trailer lifestyle**

_Oh God. She’s still doing this? Well turning the tables on her was totally worth it._ I can’t help but laugh at the awesome memory. I text her back. _Having an enemy is kinda fun as long as it ain’t Damon fucking Merrick._

**Chloe: Theres no need 4 this. If u want the recipe 4 my special tea all u gotta do is ask. 3 guesses as 2 what the hidden ingredient is…**

“Who is it?” Asks Rachel as we make our way to the elevator.

Not wanting to get Rachel in hot water with Rose I keep my answer somewhat cryptic, yet mischievous. “Oh it’s just Victoria being her usual friendly self.” We share a look. It’s either a ‘we’re awesome’ look or a ‘we are so gonna fuck’ look. _I want it to be both._ “She also wants to know how we made that tea for her before the performance on Saturday. It seems she loves it.”

We both burst out laughing and Rose gives us a strange gaze but can’t help her smile. She’s obviously delighted to see Rachel smile again, as am I. “Should I ask?” Rose asks in a slightly scalding tone.

Rachel continues to laugh. She is so fucking beautiful and lively when she laughs. _Scratch that. She’s fucking beautiful and lively all the time. God I want her._ “Inside joke. Don’t worry about it M-Mom.” I think that’s the first time Rachel has called her that since Saturday night.

_Hate your dad all you want Rachel, just don’t turn on Rose. She may be the only parent you have left._ I wish I could have convinced Sera to stay and see her daughter. I think it’s something they both need.

The three of us board the elevator and Rose hits the button for the ground level. As soon as the doors close I suddenly feel like there is electricity in the air. Ever since I brought her to the ER, Rachel’s face has been deprived of make up or any cosmetics. Yet she still looks fucking gorgeous and so damn radiant. The image of her in her bra in the changing room after Mr Keaton’s class haunts me. _Pris has taken the backseat. Rachel is all I want now._   

Rachel shifts closer to me and her index finger brushes over my hand. I silently gasp. _Jesus! I feel like a just grabbed a live wire._ Thank God Rose is facing away from us.

The elevator beeps and the doors open. Just like that, the moment is over. _How the fuck did she do that to me with just one finger? I wonder what else she can do with that one finger?_ Since there are about a half dozen people waiting to get on I have no time to gather my scattered thoughts.

Rose turns to us. “Hang on girls, I’ll just use the restroom before we head off.” Both Rachel and I nod in acknowledgement.

Once Rose is out of earshot, I open my mouth to discuss what just happened but my buzzing phone stops me. _Gahh! Fuck off Chase._ “Since when are you so popular?” Rachel asks playfully.

I take my phone out of my jeans pocket to find it’s not a text from Victoria, but Samantha Myers, the school wallflower _._ I’ve always had a soft spot for her, mostly because she reminds me so much of Max and not just in appearance. It’s strange, I haven’t really thought about Max in days. Basically ever since I wrote my last letter to her, yet another I’ll never send. I feel somewhat liberated now that I’ve put that old ritual to bed. _Yet you can’t bring yourself to throw out the letters or burn them, can you Price?_

**Samantha: Hi Chloe! Just wanna say thnx 4 giving me such great advice about Nathan on Saturday. We are going on a date this weekend! I’m so excited and SOOOO nervous!**

A wave of unease washes over me. It even makes my stomach turn. _Nathan and Samantha, together?_ Something about it rubs me the wrong way. I show the text to Rachel to get her opinion.

“Wow. Chloe Price, match maker extraordinaire.” I frown in response. “Oh, come on. Whats the problem? They could both use some action. You’re not jealous of Samantha, are you? Or is it Nathan you envy?”

I know she’s just messing with me but the thought of hooking up with Nathan makes my skin crawl. “Gross dude. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like it.”

“I wouldn’t worry. Samantha is hella sweet and Nathan’s harmless enough. Don’t sweat it Price.” Rachel’s opinion puts me slightly at ease. _Maybe she’s right. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?_

* * *

The elevator door opens and I step out before I have the chance to run away from what I’m about to face. The place looks the same as it did back in 2010, although the walls could do with a new coat of paint. All the memories of being here after Rachel are pushed aside at the sight of a familiar looking middle-aged couple in the corner who are talking to Silver, Ryan and Vanessa Caulfield. The two are holding hands but Vanessa releases her husband’s hand, so she can grab a tissue and blow her nose. They are both so pale, as if they were about to die.

They haven’t noticed me yet but it looks like Silver’s conversation with the Caulfields is concluding. “In case you need to reach me,” Silver says as she reaches for what I assume is her business card in her black jacket. Ryan takes it and quietly thanks her.

My movement forces the three of them to all gaze in my direction. _Jesus. I feel naked._ Detective Silver is the first to stand and walk over to me. “I’ll let the doctors catch you up,” she says softly so only I can hear. “I told them everything, like you asked. I’ve gotta get back to the case. I’ll see you later.” She’s clearly eager to get back to hunt so I just nod in response and before I know it, she’s in the elevator.

Ryan and Vanessa continue to eye me, but I can’t look back any longer. They both look the same as the last time I saw them which was at Dad’s funeral. The same day they took Max away from me. _Not now Chloe, they are not the bad guys._

_Shit, I should have rolled my hoodie sleeves down to hide my ink. It would have been nice to at least make a partially good ‘new first impression’. I suppose the blue hair doesn’t help either._

Vanessa stands slowly and starts to make her way over to me. _Here we go. Okay Price, if she hits you just take it. You do deserve it after all, plus you’re stranger to taking a hit._ “Chloe”, Vanessa states. Her tone is gentle, but I know she hates me. The redness in her eyes sours my already hopeless mood.

We are now only a few feet apart, Ryan is still seated and watches us with obvious curiosity.

“Vanes-Mrs Caulfield, I know this doesn’t change anything but I’m so sorry for my part in all this.” My tears start up and Vanessa’s eyes look like Mom’s used to whenever I cried. “I know this is my fault but you have to know that I would never hurt Max on purpose. Fuck. Vanessa, if you wanna hit me just fucking do it. I deser-“

She lunges at me and my eyes close as I ignore every instinct that tells to me fight back or block or dodge.

I feel her arms around me. _Fuck she’s gonna choke me._

Vanessa suddenly halts and I open my eyes in confusion. Her head is resting on my shoulder and I can feel her long dark hair on my face. _Is she hugging me? Why?_

“Oh honey, I’m so glad he didn’t hurt you as well.”

_I don’t understand. She was worried about me?_ I return her hug and I suddenly feel lighter, as if a cinder block has been lifted off my chest. “I thought… I thought you would hate me,” I say so both Vanessa and Ryan can hear me.

Vanessa puts me at ease and we finally break our drawn-out hug. We make our way over to Ryan and after a brief, slightly awkward one-armed hug, we sit down. Unlike my dad, Ryan Caulfield was always the strong silent type and it seems that hasn’t changed over the last five years. Although, in this moment he may be silent, but I can tell he isn’t strong. His eyes are almost as red as his wife’s and he looks pale even with his beard.

It’s funny how history has a way of repeating itself. Here I am sitting in the same fucking waiting area as three years ago not knowing if my friend is gonna pull through. _Stop procrastinating Price, ask the damn question you have been afraid to ask._

“So, h-how is s-she?” I ask Max’s parents, my voiced laced in the same fear that I’m sure is in theirs.

Ryan takes a deep breath. _Jesus, how many times has he had to recant Max’s condition?_ “Well it’s hard to say. She was taken out of the ICU a few hours ago and is breathing on her own without any need for life support. The emergency surgery for her gunshot was by all accounts, successful.”

_Breathing on her own? Surgery successful? Oh my God. She’s gonna be okay!_ Hope fills my heart. My face lights up in obvious delight.

“But there’s been a strange development. One the doctors can’t seem to explain,” Ryan’s words steal all my hope. _Well that was brief. I was full of hope that Max would live ANNNND it’s gone._

“What kind of development?” My question makes Ryan stand, Vanessa follows suit.

“Come on Chloe, I’ll take you in to see her and I’ll explain. It’s nice that you brought her bag,” Ryan eyes Max’s messenger bag that I forgot I was carrying.

Vanessa chimes in before I can respond. “Hon you should take Chloe in, I need some fresh air. I’ll call my mother and sister while I’m at it and give them an update.”

_Fuck, it must be so hard for them. Having to tell their families about what happened along with all the calls demanding updates on Max’s condition._

“She’ll probably smoke a whole damn pack while she’s out there,” Ryan remarks to me once his wife is out of earshot. _Do you really blame her Ryan?_

Ryan and I stand outside of room 781. _Why did it have to be Rachel’s room? WHY?!_

I can tell Ryan is as nervous as me as his big hand turns the door knob revealing the short, freckled, unconscious brunette inside. As soon as I see her, I let out a loud unrestrained sob. “M-Max.” I quickly take a seat next to her and put her bag on the floor. “Max it’s me! It’s Chloe. I’m here. I’m here.” I take her hand and notice it’s warm, indicating that she’s still with us.

“I’m so sorry Max. This is all my fault,” I say as my tears start flowing once more. Ryan steps outside and closes the door behind him. He knows I need space.

* * *

I have no idea how long I’ve been in this room, but all this crying has worn me out and I’ve said the words ‘I’m sorry’ so many times to Max that they’ve lost all meaning to me. I just hope even a small part of her can hear me.

Ryan entering the room once again slightly startles me. He takes a seat on the other side of the hospital bed and cups his daughter’s cheek slightly. Leaning over her, he whispers something into her ear. Apart of me wants to know what he’s saying but I know it’s impolite to ask.

“Ryan?” I ask to get his attention. Our eyes meet and I think he knows what I’m about to ask. “Why won’t she wake up?”

“After the surgery the doctors were concerned because she wasn’t waking up and this was even after the general anaesthetic had worn off. So they did a full MRI and a CT scan which revealed something that no one around here can explain.”

_Fuck. How bad can it be?_ The sound of Max’s heart monitor is getting on my nerves, but at least it’s telling me she’s still here.

Ryan continues. “They detected extremely abnormal brain activity. I can’t explain it as well as the doctors, but they found signs of strong activity from within a part of the human brain that isn’t even supposed to be active.”

_What the fuck? How can that be? What would cause something like that to happen?_ “And that’s why she won’t wake up?” I ask Ryan.

“That’s what they seem to think, for now at least. They called a neuro specialist not to long ago and he’s coming here from Portland. Apparently, he’s one the best in the country. He should be able to tell us more but until he gets here, it’s a waiting game.” He sounds so tired as he talks. I wanna push for more information but I know he’s at his limit.

After checking his watch, Ryan stands, kisses Max on her forehead and makes his way to the door. “I have to check on Ness, before she falls apart. Will you stay with her?” Ryan asks desperately. I nod in response. “Thank you, Chloe. Just talk to her, like you used to back in the old da-,“ Ryan pauses mid-sentence at the sight of something. “Isn’t that your old man’s camera?” He asks as he nods towards my father’s old instant camera. I took it out of Max’s bag put it on her bedside table whilst Ryan was out of the room. I’m surprised he recognises it. _I loved how excited Max was when she got to use that camera when we played pirates one last time. That’s a day I’ll never forget, and not for the goods parts._

“Yeah that was his. Max’s camera broke when she was in the bathroom so I want her to have this one.” I take a breath and hold her hand once more hoping she can hear me. “I owe her that much at least.”

“This isn’t on you Chloe, you don’t owe Max anything except for friendship.” Ryan’s breathing suddenly intensifies, it’s weird. “The one to blame is that little Prescott FUCKER!” He shouts so loud that I think most of the floor would have heard it. “Sorry I gotta get outside before I start punching holes in the walls.” I open my mouth to speak but sudden close it, he needs to blow off some steam. Ryan storms out slamming the door in the process and leaving me alone with Max.

Since I’ve been in this room, all I’ve done is cry and say ‘sorry’ over and over like a broken record. _Knock off this self-pitying bullshit and actually talk to her. It’s what she needs._

“Max, I don’t know how to start this. I kn- ahhh fuck.” There are so many things I’ve wanted to say to her over the past five years. Some nice, some less so and yet here I am, totally fucking speechless. I let go of Max’s hand so I can pace around the room. It helps me think.

“Max, a little over a year after you left I went through a phase where I’d write you letters and never send them. I didn’t know what else to do. You stopped returning my texts and I had no one. All I had left of you were pictures and the tape you left in my room the day you moved which I wore out after two months because I played and rewound it so many times. I was alone for so long and those letters kept me sane. As crazy as it sounds, I used to imagine you writing me back. I eventually stopped writing them but I could never bring myself to throw them out. I’m telling you this because when you wake I want you to have them. There is some fucked up shit written in those letters but it’s the story of me and I want you to know what I’ve become since you left.”

I catch my breath and sit back down next to Max. “But before you can read those letters, you have to wake up. Please Max. I don’t know if this shit happening with your brain makes you either an invalid or god damn superhero, but I need you to wake up, so do your parents. They are suffering so much Max.”

I feel a little better now that I’ve started getting this shit out of my system that I’ve been holding in for so long. _Why stop now?_


	7. The Bunny & The Butterfly

**Kate POV**

I can’t believe the bus is so quiet. Busses around here are always quiet but today is different. On any normal day you can hear discreet chatter or the faint sound of music coming from someone’s headphones but all I can hear is the sound of the engine and light rain clattering onto the roof. It’s not just Blackwell, the whole town is in pain over Max.

My mind grows more and more anxious as we approach the stop for the hospital. _Please be okay Max, please be okay._

The quiet is normally something I can appreciate, but now it brings the soft voice. The soft voice that’s been haunting both my days and nights since the vortex club party last week.

_‘Shhhh,’ he says followed by a clicking sound. ‘So perfect. So fragile. So innocent.’_

I shake my head to clear the distorted memory from my mind. _I’m such a fool! Why did I go to that party?_ I could have had tea with Max or even gone home to see my sisters but instead I threw myself into a den of snakes. _And for what?_ So I could try and be like everyone else for a change. Now I’m a viral slut who apparently made out with an untold number of Blackwell students and am now haunted by a night I can’t remember.

_How could I get so wasted from just one drink? Who did I kiss at that party? What happened after the party? What was that bright room I was in? Who did the soft voice belong to and how did I end up back in my dorm?_ I know the answer to some of those questions will be horrifying so perhaps its better if I don’t remember. For now at least.

The bus’s air brake startles me and brings me back to reality, as much as I don’t want it to. I grab the bag with Max’s belongings and after murmuring a quick thank you to the driver, I step out into the rain which does nothing for my mood. I should have brought my umbrella, but I was to busy getting Max’s things. The rain isn’t really all that heavy anyway.

The reporters outside must all be here for Max. _They are such jerks. Why can’t they leave Max and her family alone?_ I’m sure her parents will be here by now. _Poor Mr and Mrs Caulfield_ , _they must be going through hell._

Once inside the hospital I’m able to get Max’s room number from the front desk receptionist, despite her initial reluctance. Maybe she was given instructions not to tell anyone except for immediate family. _I hope she doesn’t get in trouble for telling me._

I board the empty elevator and press for Max’s floor. Maybe coming here was a mistake. Maybe I should have waited and given Max’s family some space. _Too late now Kate._

“Hold the door please!” A woman calls out. With only a second or so to spare, I quickly tap the button to open the elevator doors and a middle aged blonde woman steps in with me. “Thank you,” she says with a soothing Southern accent. My nerves about seeing Max prevent me from saying anything, so I simply smile and nod. She quickly looks at the elevator’s keypad but doesn’t press any of the buttons. _Hmmmm, looks like we are heading to the same floor._ I can’t place her, but she looks familiar. I know I’ve seen her before. _Arcadia Bay is a small town, so I’ve probably seen pretty much everybody at one moment or another._

As we ride up in a comfortable silence I notice she is holding a bouquet of white flowers. _Crap! Why didn’t I buy some flowers for Max before I came here._ A brief look at her tells me she is nervous. As if she has no idea what is waiting for her once these doors open. Her foot taps on the elevator floor over and over, as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders and she was desperate to be rid of it. The doors fly open and the older woman wastes no time in exiting the elevator.

The waiting room before me is a quiet and grim place. Two medical receptionists are busying themselves with paperwork and the blonde woman from the elevator throws her arms around a dark haired woman. “Vanessa,” the blonde says followed by a sob. “I’m so sorry.” The two women lengthen the hug and continue to cry and I know in an instant that the dark haired woman is Mrs Caulfield. I want to hug her too but maybe now isn’t the best time. Her cloths are creased all over and she looks like hasn’t slept in weeks.

“Joyce, thank you for coming. It means so much,” Mrs Caulfield replies. A lightbulb in my mind flicks on. _Joyce. As in Joyce from the diner in town. That’s where I know her from._ She served my sisters and I a few weeks ago.

“Can I help you young lady?” The receptionist’s question pulls my attention away from Joyce and Mrs Caulfield. I shouldn’t be eavesdropping like that, it’s rude.

“Yes, my names Kate Marsh and I am here to visit a friend of mine from school, Max Caulfield.”

The receptionist hesitates for a moment. “I’m sorry. I know your heart is in the right place but only immediate family can vi-“

“It’s okay,” a tall bearded man interrupts. I know his face from one of Max’s photos that is in my bag. This is obviously Mr Caulfield. The receptionist nods at Mr Caulfield and stands down. _It’s nice the staff here are being so accommodating to Max’s parents._ “Kate was it?”

“Yes Mr Caulfield. I wanted to see Max and bring her a few things from her dorm. Is that okay?”

Mr Caulfield smiles ever so softly. “Of course. Max would love to have another friend here.” Something catches his eye. “I’ll take you into her room in just a moment. Excuse me.” He quickly walks over the his wife and Joyce and embraces both of them. _Wait, Mr Caulfield said ‘another’ friend. Is someone else from school here already?_

I take a seat while Mr and Mrs Caulfield talk to Joyce though I can’t hear what they are saying. The three of them all seem like old friends. I recall Max saying she did live here in Arcadia before her family relocated to Seattle a few years back, so this might be a little reunion for them. _Not exactly a happy reunion though._

They talk for a few more minutes after which Mrs Caulfield approaches me. _Crap, why am I so nervous._ “Kate is it?” She sounds so broken.

I clear my throat. “Yes Mrs Caulfield. I hope it’s alright that I’m here.”

“Of course it is honey. If you are a friend of Max’s, you have as much a right to be here as I do.” She gives me a quick hug. _Dear Lord, please take Mr and Mrs Caulfield’s pain away._ “And thank you for bringing some of her things. That was very thoughtful.”

After Mrs Caulfield briefly introduces me to Joyce, the four of us head over to Max’s room. My mind if racing and I’m sweating like crazy. Joyce is nervous too. The look of unease and fear on her otherwise gentle and feminine face is palpable.

* * *

**Chloe POV**

“…and one day, not long after Rachel got released from the hospital, she came back.” I know it’s doubtful she can hear me but I’ve been telling Max about my time with Rachel. I thought I was doing it for Max, but deep down I know I’m doing it for me. Right now, talking compulsively about my past is the only thing keeping me sane.

_Fuck. I’ve been in this room so long I stopped noticing the constant beeping of Max’s heart monitor._ The constant rise and fall of her chest is a comfort to me. It lets me know that there is a chance, no matter how unlikely that she will rise from this.

“We were at the lighthouse, just talking shit and enjoying the awesome sunset, like you and I used to back in the old days.” My heart swells at those happy memories.

“That’s when I spotted Sera approaching us at the bench. She looked so beautiful in the dress she was wearing, along with the flower she had for her daughter. I could tell that Damon failed to break her, that she was still clean and determined to meet her daughter no matter how scared she was. It was such a magical moment though. Rachel met her mom’s gaze and after a second or so of hesitating, threw herself into Sera’s arms.”

A few tears escape my eyes as I almost relive that moment. _They were both so damn happy._ “I wish you could have been there Max. Hell, you’re a photographer. You would have gotten so many amazing shots of them that you would have one those hella pretentious art shows thrown in your honour.”

The door opens and in walks Ryan and Vanessa. They look the same, like absolute shit. I’m slightly startled to see Mom and Kate follow them in. Kate is holding a gym bag. _What’s up with that?_  It takes all but two seconds to identify the look on both their faces as they gaze at Max’s unconscious and almost lifeless body. It’s the same one I had when I first walked into this room.

“Oh my God,” Mom lets out with a sob. I immediately get to my feet and hug Mom. She quickly releases me and takes a seat besides Max. “Max. Oh Max.” She wastes no time in taking Max’s limp hand and breaks down in tears. _I can manage my own sorrow but seeing Mom like this is harder than I ever thought possible._ I can’t help but wonder if Mom would be like this if I was ever in Max’s condition. _In this moment, Mom loves Max more than me. And I understand, as painful as that reality is._

Kate’s hands are shaking at the sight of Max. She looks as afraid as she did yesterday when she bumped into me, and I was covered in blood. Eventually she takes a seat and joins Mom in her melancholy. They need space just like I did when I first walked in here, so I take a step back towards Ryan and Vanessa and let them cry it out.

Once Kate and Mom have gathered themselves, Kate reaches for the gym bag she brought in with her and opens it.

“What do you have there?” I ask Kate, nodding in the direction of the bag.

She blows her nose quickly. “The police let me in her room this morning, so I brought a few things for her to have in here.” I can’t help my smile. _This girl is a saint._ “It was the least I could do,” she adds.

The five of us all move in closely to see the contents of the bag. I’m surprised how desperate I am to see what’s inside. Kate takes out a small pillow with Max’s name printed on it along with a teddy bear that forces my heart to skip a beat. _No fucking way. She still has that thing?_

“Oh man. I can’t believe she still has Captain.” Kate hands him to me and I notice he is still missing an eye.

“Remember when Max swallowed his eye, Chloe?” Before I can answer Vanessa’s question she is already regaling the room with the old story even though everyone except Kate has heard this story about a million times. Although Max being rushed to the ER because she swallowed her teddy’s eye isn’t the most appropriately timed story given where we are right now.

“I took these as well. Maybe we could ask the nurses for some tape so we can put them up on the wall.” Kate takes out three photos and passes them around. One is of Max a hockey game, another is of her and Ryan whilst the other one is of her with a guy and a girl at some weird sculpture looking thing. _Oh right, that’s the troll that Rachel told me about once. I forget what they call it but it’s under some bridge in Seattle._ It’s good to see she had a few friends at least after she left Arcadia.

I can tell Ryan is hanging on by a thread as he looks at the old photo of him and his daughter. _Fuck knows how maintains that outward façade of calm and strength._

“Oh I almost forgot. There’s one more,” Kate takes one more photo out of her bag. “This one is a lot older though. It was in her dr-,” she halts mid sentence after a quick glance at the photo. Everyone in the room looks confused. “Oh. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it earlier,” she looks at the photo and then at me, repeating the process a few more times. _What’s her deal?_ “C-Chloe, it’s you.”

Her delicate hand offers the photograph to me and deep down I already know what I’m about the look at. My heart breaks a thousand times at the sight of Long Max Siler and Captain Blue Beard. _I can’t believe she kept it._

A tear falls onto the photo.

“She, she had this in her d-dorm room?” Kate nods in response and I feel Mom’s hand on my shoulder. We used to have this same photo hanging in the living room but once Rachel became a permanent fixture in my life, I bitched to Mom that we should take it down.

I summon all my strength and manage to bury the tears that this old photo conjures. Our copy of it is somewhere in the garage I think. _Maybe I should find it and put it up in my room._

Kate’s attention is once again on Max and it looks as if she is about to explode. She suddenly gets to feet, causing her chair to scrap across the floor startling all of us. “Why did this have to happen? I know you all have known her longer than me, but I still care about her. What about you Chloe? I know you didn’t mean to harm Max, but you were covered in her blo-“ Kate looks at Ryan and Vanessa and her look goes from angry to ashamed. _Jesus Kate, they don’t need to hear shit like that._ “I’m sorry,” she says to them. “Its’s just I feel so helpless. I don’t know…” _Fuck, she is taking this whole situation as hard as me._ Max’s parents, Mom and I all share a knowing look. _Fuck it, she deserves to know the truth, even if she hates me for it._

“Okay Kate,” I start. “This all started on Saturday night…”

* * *

**Kate POV**

Chloe’s story has made me numb. I can feel her eyes awaiting my response, along with Joyce and the Caulfields. _Nathan Prescott drugged her? He was taking photos of her while she was unconscious?_ _Is that what that clicking sound was while I was out of it?_ Deep down in my heart, I know it’s not a coincidence. My story will help Chloe’s and vice versa.

“Kate, honey?” Mrs Caulfield’s voice brings me out of my reverie. _I have to tell them about Friday night, they might actually believe me._

“Ummm. Okay. How do I say this? Ahhh,” I don’t recognise my own voice. Talking about the Vortex party isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. _Just say it Kate! For Max and for Chloe._ Everyone else in the room is looking confused and impatient at my hesitation. “Chloe, I was, or I’m pretty sure I was, d-drugged at a party on Friday night.” My statement makes her face go pale, I can tell she believes me in an instant. “And I know it was Nathan Prescott who did it.”

As painful as it is, I tell them everything that happened at the party on Friday night.

_Going to the party._  
The red wine I had a sip of.  
Feeling funny…  
Those boys I kissed.  
Nathan offering to take me to the ER.  
The bright white room…  
That repetitive clicking sound…  
The soft voice.  
And of course, the viral video that is destroying me.

* * *

**Chloe POV**

Holy fucking shit. I can’t believe it. _I wasn’t the first, was I?_ My mind imagines an even worse thought. _Was Kate the first?_ I don’t think she would be. Those fucking vortex club parties Nathan runs would give him an almost limitless supply of girls to drug. _Even Rachel?_ The thought chills me to my bones.

As you would imagine, the second Kate finished her story she burst into tears and Vanessa was hugging before anyone got a chance to talk. _Gotta admit I admire Kate for having the guts to say all that to a room of strangers. She’s tougher than she thinks._

“Have you told the police or your parents yet?,” Mom asks once Vanessa releases her.

“No Joyce,” Kates blows her nose and continues. “My family, well at least my mother and aunt haven’t been very supportive. They’ve been s-saying horrible things. And I haven’t told the police because I didn’t think anyone would believe me. But now…,” Kate’s attention is back on me.

Ryan chimes in. “The police have to know about this.”

I feel a fire start in my heart, a purpose, a mission. _That fucker is gonna pay for what he’s done._ “I know what you mean Kate. After what he’s done to you, to me and to Max, people will believe us. I know they will.” I can see a similar look of determination on everyone else’s faces as well. _If we can’t save Max, we can at least make sure Prescott never has a chance to hurt anyone else._

Kate stands, and I follow suit. “Thank you, Chloe,” she says and throws her arms around me. I don’t hesitate in hugging her back. _This is her fight now too._

_Alright, we can’t waste any time here._ “Listen Kate, the first thing we gotta do is tell the cops about what happened to you.” Kate nods in response and I take out my phone. “I have the number of the detective in charge of this whole thing. I’ll call her and we can figure out what the next step is. Is that cool?”

“Yes of course. We should act now.” _Hella fucking yes we should act now Kate._ I step out of Max’s room and into hall, I need some space after hearing all that shit. Once I find Silver’s number on my contacts list, I dial immediately.

* * *

“So what do you think? What’s the play here?,” my call so far with Detective Silver has been brief and to the point, I know that’s how she operates.

“If what this Marsh girl says is true then we can’t ignore it. Your stories are just too similar to blow off.”

“My point exactly.”

“Okay, tell this girl to stay where she is. I’m too busy with the case to come myself, but I’ll send someone I trust over to take a statement. We can get her whole story a- hang on a second Chloe.” The background noise on Silver’s side suddenly escalates. Based on the many voices and ringing phones I hear, I assume she’s back at the police station.

“What the fuck?”

“Where did they get the info?”

“Shit.”

All the voices I hear on Silver’s side are making me a little nervous. _What the hell is going on over there?_

“Chloe listen, there has been a bit of a snag. I don’t know how or who but your involvement in the shooting yesterday has just been made public. It’s already on TV, radio and a few news sites.”

_FUCK! SHIT! How the fuck did they find that out?_ “Who’s the rat who told those cun-“

Siler cuts me off, “I don’t know Chloe!” She shouts. _Man, this woman does not like repeating herself._ “This doesn’t change the case okay? Our target is still Nathan, and someone will be over soon to take Kate’s statement. In the meantime, do not say anything to the pre-,“ I kill the call before she can finish. _I get it Silver, don’t talk to the media._

Well, everyone knows now that this is my fault now. It’s a bitter pill to swallow but once something like this is out there, it’s out there. _Like Kates video._ My phone buzzes but I ignore it for now. It’s probably people I used to know at Blackwell asking if what they are hearing is true.

I can’t be here anymore. _I gotta get the fuck out of here._ I swear to God, these fucking walls feel like they are closing in on me. Quickly heading into Max’s room, I tell Kate to wait for the cops and give Max a kiss on her cheek. _I’ll come back soon Max, promise. Stay strong._

“I gotta go,” I announce and quickly head for the door ignoring everyone’s confusion with my sudden departure. _They will figure it out soon enough anyway._

In the main waiting room, I see two nurses along with a few other people watching the latest news on one of the wall mounted TV’s. A picture of me flashes on the screen, much to my shock. _Fuck!_ I can feel people judging me as they look from the TV to my face. _Damn it. I won’t be able to go anywhere without people noticing me now._

I opt to take the stairs instead of the elevator in case someone in there notices me. Once on the ground level the sight of the two cops I passed earlier halts me in my tracks. _Shit balls. There are like thirty or so journalists standing between me and my truck. How could I forget that?_

“Chloe, you don’t wanna go out there,” one of the cops says as I approach him. “All the reporters outside know you’re here and they know about yesterday.”

“I figured as much. Look man, my car is out there and I gotta get out of here.” He mutters something under his breath and shares a look with his partner. _Are these guys gonna help me or not? All I wanna do is get to my car and drive the fuck outta here._

“This is what’s gonna happen. You will walk between us. Do your best to ignore all the cameras and questions. The three of us will make our way quickly to your car. Once we’re there, you won’t waste anytime in getting in driving off. Got it?” I nod in response to his quickfire instructions and the other cop stands to my right. “And most importantly do-“

I finish his sentence for him. “Don’t say anything to them?” He gives me a nod and a half smile. “I’ve been told that I billion times already. I’ll keep my mouth shut. Let’s just get this done.”

“Right,” he responds, and the automated doors open.

* * *

** Author’s Notes: **

**As I was editing this chapter I noticed that I sort of created Arcadia Bay’s own version of the whole ‘#metoo’ thing without even trying. Just an observation.**


	8. Empty Truth

Even on a day as shitty as today, the sunsets here are still beautiful. At least the rain has passed and the sand has dried out, allowing me to take in the view on the beach. I take a long slow inhale of my cigarette and can’t help think of the days Max and I used to build sandcastles in this very spot every summer. We always did it at sunset even though she got in trouble a few times for being out after dark.

_Simpler, more innocent days. What I wouldn’t give to go back._

Exhaling, I try not to let all that transpired today fuck me up anymore than it already has.

I’m surprised I’ve been able to lie here for so long without being noticed as ‘the girl from the news’. Luckily the reporters from the hospital didn’t follow me after I got to my car. After all the questions they asked me, I wanted to tear their fucking throats out but instead kept quiet.

‘ _Chloe, is it true you and Maxine Caulfield were childhood friends?’_

_‘What were the circumstances behind you’re expulsion from Blackwell?’_

_‘Were you and Nathan Prescott sleeping together?’_

_‘Why resort to blackmail Chloe?’_

Naturally the entire truth didn’t come out, only what made me look bad. All the media know is that a former student of Blackwell tried to squeeze money out of ‘the prestigious Nathan Prescott’. At least the fact the he shot an unarmed girl is still the main factor in all this.

Walking from the hospital doors to my car only took about a minute but it was more than enough time for those fuckers to ask me every question in the book. I never thought a media interrogation would be tougher than a police interrogation _. At least the cops asked the right questions._

I take out my phone to distract myself from overthinking. It’s been buzzing ever since I made the news but I’ve been too afraid to look it.

**Trevor: yo chloe. Whats up with the news? This is so fucked. Justin n me don’t believe a word of it.**

**Mom: I can see why you left now. Those reporters gave me a hard time as well. We will get through this. See you at home. Love you.**

**Mikey: Hi Chloe, I know we haven’t talked in a while but are you okay? Some messed up stuff is on the news about you. Everyone at school is talking about it. Drew and Steph have been asking as well. Give me a call anytime if you wanna talk.**

It’s good to know I’ve got at least a few people on my side. I lock my phone, deciding not to respond to any of them. All I want for now is to be alone. Before I can put my phone away it buzzes again. _Fuck._

**Unknown Number: Hi Chloe it’s Kate. Your Mom gave me your number, hope that’s okay. I spoke to the police already and told them everything I told you. Your Mom and Mrs Caulfield were really supportive. Also im sorry about your name being all over the news. Call me if you wanna talk. I know whats its like to be in the spot light for the wrong reasons.**

_Shit I should have been there when Kate talked to the cops._ A wave of guilt rushes over me. I’m glad Mom and Vanessa were there for her instead. I add her number to my contacts and respond.

**Chloe: It must have been tough but it was the right thing to do. Sorry I wasn’t there. I had to be alone after all this shit on the news.**

**Kate: Where are you? Wanna talk?**

**Chloe: No thanks. I just gotta be alone for now. Talk soon**

**Kate: Okay. TTYL**

I put my phone on silent and pocket the damn thing before it bothers me again. _No more texts today. No fucking more._

Once I put my cigarette out in the sand, I lie down and block everything out. _No missing friends, no shot friends, no problems_. All that exists is the gentle breeze that teases my skin, the sand that I want to sink into and the sound of the waves that come from the underappreciated band known as the Pacific Ocean.

I close my eyes and for the first time since this all started, I feel peace.

Something slippery and wet is dragged across my face. _What the fuck?!_ My eyes snap open in response lo and behold is Frank’s dog. “Hey. Hey. Easy there Po-pop… ah Pomp?” I should remember his name, but I can’t seem to recall it.

“POMPIDOU!” Franks masculine voice forces my head to turn in his direction. _Pompidou, that’s it._ He’s dressed in his usual ‘tough guy’ attire. A light bulb switches on in my brain. _Shit! The money I owe!_ “Pompidou, where are y-“ he halts mid-sentence at the sight of me. _Here we go. Like I haven’t dealt with enough today. I’m too tired for this._

Each step he takes in my direction makes me more and more nervous. “Chloe. Hey,” he says casually, ignoring the elephant between us. “Hell of a da-“.

“SAVE IT FRANK,” I shout, unable to hold it in anymore. “I know my face is on the news, I know it was all my fault and no I don’t have your fucking money!” My yelling startles Pompidou and he moves away from me. “You wanna threaten me or kill me or whatever, go ahead!”

“Easy kid, that wasn’t my plan,” he sits next to me and Pompidou joins him. _This is weird._ To his credit, he offers me a cigarette and lights one for himself too. “They’re saying you knew her, the Caulfield girl.”

“Yeah. We were best friends when we were little kids. Up until yesterday, I hadn’t seen her in five years. I didn’t even know she was at Blackwell, let alone back in town.” I take a drag of my cigarette and nearly choke. _Fuck, why does Frank smoke the full strength ones. Still better than menthol though._ I tell Frank everything that happened in the bathroom. He’s no saint himself, so he might get it.

“Sounds like she was trying to protect you, even after so many years of not seeing you. But why blackmail Prescott? What do you have on him?” Frank’s question makes me realises something. _Fuck. The shit Nathan used on me and Kate, he got it from Frank didn’t he?_

“Long story short, Nathan drugged me on Saturday night with shit I assume he bought from you and I figured I would get him to pay me to keep quiet about it all.” My words have hit Frank hard, I can tell. I sigh and continue. “I needed the money. There’s this guy I owe money too, three grand to be exact.” Frank looks pale and guilt ridden, not that I blame him for all this.

“Jesus,” is all he can muster.

“I should have never borrowed money from you Frank,” I say, my voice stained with regret. “I took that loan in the blind hope that Rachel would one day show up out of the blue and rescue me from this shit pit. But I was a fucking idiot.” A tear escapes my eye at the words I’ve been afraid to say for six months, but now have to. “She’s gone, I just wish I knew where.” _There, I fucking said it._ “I was so fucking in love with Rachel and I know she fel-“

“Chloe stop,” Frank cuts me off. “Look. This isn’t easy to say but… we both wanted the same thing.”

_Same thing? Does he mean he wanted Rachel?_ “It’s no surprise Frank. So you had a thing for Rachel, no big deal. Everyone in town wanted a piec-“.

“That’s not what I meant,” Frank snaps. He suddenly looks nervous for some reason. Frank fishes around in his worn out jacket and eventually pulls out what I assume is a photo. He offers it to me, “me and Rachel were… involved to say the least.” The photo is of him and Rachel. Frank is smiling like I’ve never seen before and has an arm draped over Rachel.

_No._ My eyes can’t seem to move away from the photo. _Please God no._ I think the Earth just stopped rotating. A chill overruns my spine and finds its way to my already fractured heart. _It can’t be. Frank and Rachel? Rachel and Frank? They were fucking._ I feel my hands starting to tremble and I can’t stop them. _HE HAD HIS DICK IN HER WHILE SHE WAS FUCKING ME!_ I put my half-finished cigarette in the sand before I’m overpowered by the urge to stamp it out on Frank’s face.

“No,” I say firmly. _Denial. Nice Chloe. It’s the first step, or so they say._ “You’re lying. She loved me.” _Even though she never said it._

“She loved you like a sister Chloe. Those are Rachel’s words, not mine. That’s what she told me. She said she was trying to let you down gently over time. I knew you two were hooking up while I was with her, but I guess it didn’t bother me so much because… well.”

I scowl at him. “Because we’re both girls?” _Kinda gross to think about but I wonder how many times he fucking jerked off to that particular image._

“If it helps, she didn’t love me either. Not in the end at least,” his tone has suddenly turned melancholic.

“What do you mean?”

“Rachel and I were pretty hot and heavy, and not just in bed.” _For fuck sake, I don’t wanna hear this._ “Over the years I learned to just sell the hard shit, not use it myself. But Rachel changed that. The more shit we took, the more intense it got and I guess I crossed a line, as ashamed as I am to admit that.”

“In other words you went fucking crazy on cheap coke one night and got violent with her?” I can tell my question has thrown Frank. “And then she walked away?”

“More or less, yeah.” As soon as he finishes his smoke, he lights up another. “Even after she called it off between us I didn’t stop loving her. I think the only thing she loved more than you or me was the idea of escaping, of running away from here.”

My mood now mirrors Frank’s. “Yeah. That’s something we can agree on at least.”

I didn’t think it was possible to have a peaceful moment with someone you owe three grand to, but here we are. Frank and I spend a few minutes in a very comforting silence just smoking and probably thinking about our times with Rachel. Pompidou sits between us and he seems pretty content when I pet him behind his ears. It’s a silly thought but I suppose he was powerless over Rachel’s charms as well.

“Chloe,” Frank says softly. “Do you remember the day at the mill with Sera and Damon?” His question makes my arm hairs stand straight up. _Why bring up ancient history like this?_

“You mean the day I asked you about years ago, but told me to never speak of again? How could I forget,” I can’t help my uncalled for sarcasm.

“Yeah, that day.”

“What about it?” Those first days with Rachel were some of the toughest, but also some of the most wonderful days of my life. But the day Rachel was stabbed was certainly not the latter.

“After Damon shot up Sera and knocked you out, it was just me, Damon and his knife. I had known him since I was your age but in that moment, one of us was gonna die. There was no other way. During the struggle, neither of us ever spoke a word to each other. It was just two men trying to kill one another.” Frank takes a drag of his smoke and continues. “Damon had always been stronger than me, plus I was already hurt so I thought it was the end for me. He had the knife about an inch over my throat and my whole life flashed before my eyes. But in the end, I got lucky. Very fucking lucky. One of the floor boards he was standing on buckled and he lost his footing. The knife ended up in my hand…”

“And you…?” I can’t even finish the question. Since I never saw Damon again after that day, It was obvious what Frank had done but it doesn’t make his story any less fucked up.

“I stuck the knife right through his heart and that was it. It was over in less than a second. He died with his eyes wide open.” He briefly pauses. “I can still see them in my sleep. Although Rachel helped keep the nightmares at bay.” Frank chuckles like he was in on some inside joke. “It’s ironic. Owing my life to a broken, burnt out floor board that only existed because Rachel started the fire that destroyed the mill.”

My heart skips a beat in response. “She told you about the fire?” _Unfucking-believable._ Rachel and I swore to never tell anyone about it. _Does anyone in this town keep their word?_

“Yeah she did. Your secret’s safe with me, just like mine is with you. Right?”

“Of course. Besides it’s been over three years and nothings come of it, so I think we’re both safe.” My curiosity gets the better of me. I know I shouldn’t ask but I wanna know more. “What happened after Damon was dead?”

“Well I was in a mad panic, but thinking wasn’t something I had time for. You were still out cold and Sera was still high. I cut Sera loose and grabbed a tarp and a bottle of bleach from my RV. I flushed the blood with the bleach and wrapped Damon in the tarp. After I stashed him in my RV, I got out of there and buried him. Best I don’t say where.”

I used to think Frank’s bark was worse than his bite. It seems I was wrong.

He gets to his feet and snaps his fingers which gets Pompidou to follow him. “Chloe, consider your debt forgiven. Just don’t ask me for a loan or a favour ever again.”

My mood shifts in a way I cannot explain. _What the fuck? My debt is forgiven? I don’t get it._ “Frank wait.” I jump to my feet to face Frank who has his back turned to me. “Why tell me about Rachel and Damon? Why forgive my debt? I don’t understand what’s in it for you.”

“I cleared your debt because it’s what Rachel would want and I’m sick of playing the asshole who harasses and threatens people for money. And I told you about Damon and Rachel because… I’ve had it inside for so long and had to tell someone. And you…” Frank hesitates, as if he’s about to face an ugly truth, much like I have today. “You’re the closest thing I got to a friend Chloe.” He takes a deep breath like he’s trying to hold back tears and walks away with Pompidou right behind him as always.

Why am I not angry? I should be but I’m not. I should be feeling hatred towards Frank and Rachel for their dirty lies, but I don’t. I should feel relief that I don’t owe Frank anymore and that I know why Rachel never loved me, but I don’t.

All I feel is fear. Fear for Max. Even after abandonment and five years without seeing her, that girl is still my fucking world.

* * *

**Outside Arcadia Bay…**

Much like yesterday, the setting sun came with a sense of security for Nathan Prescott. Darkness was one the last remaining things he could rely on, along with the trees that hid him from the traffic that seldom drove through the old dirt road.

There were so many things that Nathan has wanted over the last twenty-four hours.

A hot meal.  
A change of clothes.  
A hug from his mother.  
A chance to talk to his friend Victoria without incriminating her.  
But most of all, a chance to take back what he did yesterday.

But he knew he couldn’t have any of them, his life of privilege was over from the second he pulled the trigger on Max Caulfield.

_Forgive me Max. I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt her or Chloe, or Rachel, or Kate._

Instead he was forced to contact the one man whom he did not want to talk to, his Father Sean Prescott. Once he reassured his father that he was using one of his burner phones, Nathan became victim once again to the ‘Sean Prescott riot act’. As Sean screamed at him over the phone, he wondered if calling his mentor Mark Jefferson would have been a better choice.

_Not likely. Ever since Rachel, my standing with him has changed. After this, he’ll want me dead. Mark never liked loose ends, plus he knows I’ll sell him out first chance I get if caught._

The sound of his father’s relentless ranting was bugging him, so he switched his phone to speaker and placed it on the dashboard of his pickup truck. On the other end of the line a sound of glass gently clashing with oak can be heard. Nathan rolled his eyes at the all too familiar sound.

_Even now, the old bastard still has to sit at his throne and have his nightly two glasses of brandy. Three if he’s on edge._

“Son listen to me. I can’t promise anything, but I am working on creating you a window. I leaked the Price girl’s involvement to the press so the public would focus on her. The more news stations that show her face, the less people will recognise you. Her ridiculous hair and tattoos are more memorable after all which works in our favour.”

He had heard about Chloe’s part in all this on the radio just a few hours ago. Nathan smirked at his father’s words, not being the least surprised it was him who leaked it.

_He didn’t throw Chloe under the bus to help me. He did it to protect the Prescott name, the only thing he’s ever cared for._

“What’s going to happen is you will wait for my call. Soon enough I can have a car brought to you. It will have a full tank, false licence plates and an envelope of cash in the glove box. Along with a few things to help change your appearance. You will do your best to disappear and eventually I’ll have made arrangements to get you across the Canadian border. Once off US soil it will be easier to-”

Sean’s words fade into insignificance at Nathan’s epiphany. Nothing his father was saying mattered anymore. He ended the call while Sean was mid-sentence and blocked his number so he never had to hear his voice again.

_I can’t do this. I’m not built for life on the run, and I’m sure as hell not cut out for prison._

“Only one card left to play,” he said to himself.

Nathan spent the next few hours chain smoking, crying and going over his plan over and over. It was a simple plan, but one that would change everything. For himself, for his family and for the town that has kneeled at his father’s feet for far too long.

After taking a quick inventory of his resources, Nathan knew he had everything he needed to pull this off with one exception. A shovel.

* * *

**Bird on a Wire – Katey Sagal & The Forest Rangers**

Ryan Caulfield sat at the Price household dining table alone simply starring at the piece of furniture. No thoughts entered his mind. He was afraid to think. Thinking would just make him break down in tears again. He was suddenly startled by a hand placing a glass of brown liquid in front of him. David Madsen joined him, he sat across from Ryan with a glass of his own. It was a premium bourbon he received as a wedding gift from one of his army buddies a few years back. The two men shared a look of acknowledgement and with no words between them, drank.

Upstairs in the guest bedroom that was rarely used, Vanessa Caulfield was in the arms of her old friend Joyce. The two mothers had been crying uncontrollably since visiting hours had ended and were forced to leave the hospital. The Price residence was no host to hope on this night. Only sorrow and heartbreak.

Victoria Chase sat at her desk guzzling cheap pink wine. It wasn’t her signature drink but now that upcoming vortex party had been cancelled, she, along with her dorm mates had a surplus of alcohol and needed an excuse to drink it. She was watching the video she had shot of Kate last week, much to her shame. Seeing Max Caulfield being loaded into an ambulance had shaken Victoria more than she could admit to herself. All she feels now is guilt for everything she had done in her time at Blackwell. She knows the damage has already been done, but Victoria deletes the links to the video from her social media along with the posting to YouTube. It does nothing to soothe her conscience, but it was enough to allow her to sleep.

In the dorm opposite, Kate Marsh does her best to fight back her tears. It was a losing battle. Her friend Max being shot had wounded her, but today’s revelations had rendered her broken.

In the boy’s dorm, Warren Graham sits alone at his desk staring at a picture of himself and Max that the girl had taken last week. On nights like this, he often found himself masturbating to the picture. But tonight, he was in no such mood. The boy cries himself to sleep, cursing his cowardice for not telling Max how he felt when he had the chance.

After feeding Pompidou, Frank sits at the driver’s seat of his RV and gazes at photo he took many years back with Damon, his friend who he was forced to kill. Telling Chloe about what happened that fateful day was merely a band aid. The all too familiar pain came crashing back and like always, Frank surrenders to his grief.

* * *

** Author’s Notes: **

**So I decided to mix things up a bit in this chapter. Writing in third person was a refreshing change of pace for me and I really wanna do more of it.**

**One of my favourite things in LIS are the end of episode musical monologues they do so damn brilliantly. It’s kinda hard to portray them in writing but I thought I would give it a go. The song I used is featured in the third season of Sons of Anarchy, so I hope some of you recognise it. I didn’t want to use a song that’s already been used in LIS.**


	9. Death is Cold Part I

My eyes open at a snail’s pace to greet the morning light. _Ugh, my head!_ I waste no time dropping a few aspirin in what I know will be a futile attempt to fight off my monstrous hangover. _Why? Why? Why did I drink so much?_ I look over at the other side of my bed. _Oh, that’s why._ I take in the billion-dollar view and suddenly regret nothing about last night. “Totally worth it,” I say to myself with a smile.

Even in winter, Rachel still sleeps naked, not that I’m complaining. I wish I could return the gesture, but I guess she’s more resilient to the cold than me. Still, I hope she finds my blue thong and old Firewalk t-shirt sexy.

She drank even more than me last night so she’s gonna out for a while longer. My blanket covers her bottom half but once I shift her glorious hair to one side, I have a rare opportunity to simply stare at her naked back.

_Chloe Price, you are such a creep._

As I run my finger across her skin I can’t help notice what a beautiful blank canvass her back is. _Hmmm, so much potential here. What would look better I wonder, more tatts or marks left behind by my fingernails._ My eyes move across my floor to a strap on dildo lying on the ground. _Oh man, she went fucking nuts with that thing last night. And then I did._ My smile broadens. _And then she did again._ A small part of me was angry at her when she showed it to me. Going to a sex shop is on my bucket list and she went without me! Luckily, Rachel Amber is easy to forgive. I’m just glad Mom and Step Dick left to visit his parents right after Christmas. Having the house to ourselves has been a dream. No need to be quiet or even wait til later in the day to drink.

Rachel stirs and slowly starts to regain consciousness, not doubt caused by my eager fingers. “Ohhh, mmpft. Fra-,” she cuts herself off at the sight of me. “Did you fondle me Chloe Price?” Even hung over, she’s always the flirt.

“I don’t know,” I state calmly and hand her my water and a few aspirin. “Do you feel fondled?”

Rachel smiles in her ever so secretive way and downs the pills, then lights two cigarettes, one for each of us. “Well, happy new year I suppose.”

I take her offered smoke, enjoying the view even more now that she’s on her back. “Dude, we said that last night. You know, at midnight. When people usually say it.”

“My rule is you can say as many times as you like, as long as it’s January.” Rachel places her smoke in my nearby ashtray and hops out of bed with her usual enthusiasm. _Be cool Chloe, don’t stare. Don’t stare. Oh who am I kidding?_ I shamelessly take in the view of a naked Rachel Amber.

_This is the year, I know it. We’ll finally bail on this shithole town and then I’ll make her mine. 2013 will be my year, I can feel it in my bones._

“Stop eye raping me Price and get up. I’m gonna get a head start on the pizza from last night.” She winks at me and leaves my room, only bothering with one of my t-shirts. _God I love it when she wears my clothes._

It takes a minute or so, but I get my lazy ass up, but before I can join Rachel, my phone starts ringing. _Wait, that’s not my ring tone. It’s not Rachel’s either._

* * *

I wake with a start. For a split second, Rachel’s scent was once again ensconced in my bedsheets. _Fuck I miss that smell._

My attention is drawn back my phone. _Jesus, it’s barely the crack of dawn. Who the hell would be calling me?_ I reach over to check my phone and am surprised at yet another unknown number. As much as I want to ignore the call and get some more sleep, I decide to answer since it could be about Max or Nathan.

“Yeah, hello?” My voice is gruff and low. _My morning voice needs some work._

“Rise and shine Chloe Price. It’s the first day of the rest of your life,” the voice on the other end speaks with self-assured arrogance. _Mother fucking fuck!_ In the blink of an eye, my adrenaline spikes and I’m wide awake as if I just snorted a line of coke.

“Nathan,” I say with a hint of murder in my voice. “You bastard, you are gonna pay for Max, for Kate, for m-“.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Nathan cuts me off.

My mind is racing. _Why the fuck would he be calling me? Where is he?_

“I’ll make this quick,” Nathan continues. “I want you to come to the junkyard, right now, alone.” His tone is still as arrogant as it was when we last spoke. It’s fucking annoying. As if he’s forgotten that he recently put a bullet into an innocent, unarmed girl.

“Why the fuck would I do that?” I snap back at him.

“Because I have something you want.”

“You mean your head? Which I’m gonna put on a stick YOU EVIL CUNT!” _Watch your volume Chloe, don’t wake up Ryan and Vanessa._

Nathan chuckles which forces my hand to shake in a near uncontrollable rage. _He doesn’t feel bad about any of this does he?_ “Well that’s awfully sweet of you, but I was referring to Rachel.”

“What?” The word is out of my mouth before I can stop it. _Did he just say that? Rachel?_ I shake my head to clear my thoughts. _No, no NO! He’s lying. He’s just trying to get in my head._ “No. You’re full of shit Prescott.”

“Well to be fair, you got no reason to believe me. But we both know you can’t ignore Rachel, can you?” _Fuck, the son of a bitch is right._ “She’s here, and she’s waiting.” Nathan’s words drill their way into my soul and something in my gut tells me he’s not lying. _Rachel…I have to save her._

“If you’re lying I will fuc-“

“No more lies Chloe”, Nathan interrupts. “The junkyard, alone, now.” I can hear him breathing quite heavily all of a sudden. “Remember that my Dad still owns the cops in this town, even the ones working on finding me. Don’t try anything clever. You’re being watched.”

My sense of reason and logic is thrown out the window and all I feel is the urge to save her, save Rachel Amber. “I-I’m coming. Please don’t hurt her,” my plea is weak, submissive and I barely recognise my own voice.

“Just get here,” Nathan says softly. “Please,” he adds with a hint of sadness and the line goes dead.

_Shit, fuck! What do I do?_ As I start to dress in the same clothes I wore yesterday, I try to consider my options.

_Call Silver and tell her everything?_  
Tell David?  
Steal David’s gun again?  
Do what Nathan says?

No, telling anyone will put Rachel in danger and Nathan is clearly on edge and I’m sure he’s still armed. I have to confront Nathan and turn the tables on him. It’s my only chance to save Rachel.

_Why would Nathan kidnap Rachel and keep her prisoner for six months? What’s his angle? What am I missing?_

Once dressed, I grab my usual shit and quickly reach for my doorknob, but I’m stopped by a dark and horrible realisation. _Today could be the last day of my life._ The thought gives me goose bumps all over.

There is no telling how today is going to end so I gotta leave something for Mom. I wish I could write something for Max too, but time isn’t a luxury I have. Rummaging through my desk, I find a blank sheet of paper and start writing.

It took ten minutes and a few failed drafts, but I leave my Mom what could be my last words to her on my bed. _I love you Mom, so fucking much._ I wipe my tears away, put all thoughts of Mom, Dad and Max aside and head downstairs making sure to close the door behind me to buy some much needed time.

_Whatever it takes Rachel. I’m gonna save you._

**_Mom_ **

**_Nathan Prescott called me this morning and told me he has Rachel. I’m going to the junkyard north of town to meet him and save Rachel. I know it’s crazy, but I can’t lose Rachel to Nathan like I lost Max. I can’t lose anyone else. I wanna ask you not to call the cops once you read this, but I know you will._ **

**_I know this whole situation with Nathan and Max is all kinds of fucked up and that it’s my fault, but I have to ask something of you. If something should happen to me today and Max one day wakes up, please give her the letters I wrote but never had the courage to send. They are in my bottom desk drawer. Also, tell her I love her and that I forgive her. I’m not angry with her anymore, or at anyone for that matter. I’m just scared that I’m gonna lose someone else I love._ **

**_Mom, I know everything changed for us both after Dad died, but that doesn’t excuse the things I’ve said and done since then. Dad was my hero and losing him fucked me up more than I could say._ **

****_I’m sorry for how I acted when you started dating again. You deserve happiness._  
I’m sorry for getting kicked out of Blackwell.  
I’m sorry for making you worry all those nights I didn’t come home.  
I’m sorry for being a horrible daughter.

**_I was selfish, so fucking selfish. I almost forgot that you lost him too. I should have been there for you more, and for that I’m sorry. You’re the best damn mom in the world and you deserve a better daughter. I gotta run. Hopefully I’ll see you again. I love you Mom._ **

**_Chloe_ **

* * *

Lucky for me, downstairs is deserted. Max’s parents must still be in bed, and I have no idea where Mom and David are. The kitchen smells heavenly and I forget for the briefest moment what’s about to happen. Mom has been cooking compulsively it seems, something she does when she’s upset or stressed and needs a distraction. One of the plates on the kitchen counter is covered by a paper towel and my nose tells me there is bacon beneath it. _You’re gonna need your strength today Price._ I don’t know if it’s been left out for me or for the Caulfields, but I quickly stuff my face with a few strips of delicious Canadian bacon and make for the garage.

Since David has stepped up his security for his hand guns with an industrial grade padlock, I am forced to look around his work space for something I can use as a weapon. I’ll need something light, easy to wield and even easier to conceal. _The element of surprise is all I have._ I continue my search of David’s shit, hoping to find my ace in the hole.

_A hammer? No, it’s to heavy to hide in my jeans._  
A wrench? Possibly, but I think I need something sharp.  
Bolt Cutters? No way, too big.  
A box cutter? No, the blade is too flimsy and not designed for stabbing.

A small toolbox next to David’s muscle car catches my eye. There is a tyre iron next to it which may prove useful but I notice something else instead. My eyes raise in a ‘eureka’ moment. _Holy shit._ Inside the toolbox I am surprised to find a big knife with a brown handle with ‘USMC’ engraved on it. _That’s weird, I thought David was in the Army, not the Marines._ On the base of the recently polished blade is a small star that doesn’t seem very distinctive, but there is another engraving.

‘TO MY FIELD ANGEL KEEP YOUR WINGS UP’

The idea of taking this knife suddenly fills me with guilt. It’s clearly a keepsake from David’s army days and whoever gave it to him must owe their life to David Madsen. I clear my head of guilt and regret, those feelings will come later, not now. _There is no time Chloe! If this knife saves my life or Rachel’s, I’m sure he’ll understand._

I can’t help but remember the time when David told me about his friend that he lost. I think his name was Beckett, or maybe Becker, but it was the first time David was ever vulnerable around me. _I guess he and I have more in common than I thought._ After performing first aid on Max in the bathroom and not making a fuss about the stolen gun, it seems I owe him one. _And yet here I am stealing his knife. What a great way to make amends._

I take the knife and put it in the sheath that’s also in the toolbox and find that it fits perfectly in the back of my jeans. I nod in content. It’s the perfect weapon, or at least the best I can find on short notice.

Having everything I need, I head for the front door, feeling unsure and terrified of what is waiting for me at the junkyard. _It’s gonna be okay Rachel. I’m coming for you. Today, I become YOUR field angel._

* * *

I so rarely get to see Arcadia Bay at dawn, it truly is a remarkable sight. I wonder if Max ever came into town before her classes to take some shots since it seems that dawn and dusk are the best times for photographing this place. The ocean is now reflecting the morning sun, but Arcadia herself is still draped in shadow. _What a fitting metaphor._

Driving past all the old shops makes me think if I’ll ever see them again after today. I can’t stop my wayward thoughts. _This is insane Chloe, even by your standards!_ I don’t care though. If there’s a chance to save Rachel, I’ll do whatever’s necessary to make it happen.

Once I’m clear of the town, an idea pops into my head and I pull over. I’ve never used the voice recorder app before but this occasion certainly calls for it. I spend a minute or so tinkering with the microphone settings and once I’m satisfied with the quality I begin recording. Fortunately, my battery is fully charged and the recorder is the only app being used so there shouldn’t be any cut offs in my recording.

“Okay, ummmmm. This is Chloe Elizabeth Price. It’s Wednesday October 9th 2013 at…” I glance at my phone. “6:03am. Not long ago I was called by Nathan Prescott who is currently a fugitive. He told me to meet him at the junk yard north of Arcadia Bay and that he has Rachel Amber with him who has been missing for the past six months. I got no fucking clue what’s about to happen so I’m gonna record it all on my phone as an insurance policy, assuming this phone gets into the right hands of course. If you find this phone then please get it to detective Jodi Silver, she’s in charge of the Prescott case. I don’t care if this recording incriminates me. If it helps bring down Prescott, then I’ll consider that a win.”

I’m about to start my truck but an all too familiar urge stops me from doing so. There’s something I gotta do first. I open my glove box and find that I have one cigarette left. _Enjoy it Chloe, it could be your last._ I light it up and breath in the sweet, sweet cancer. “This one’s for you Max, though I doubt you ever smoked.”

“Max,” I say to my phone. “If you hear this and it’s all that’s left of me, then I want you to know how sorry I am for what happened in the bathroom. I spent most of yesterday at your side crying my fucking eyes out. Your parents were there too, along with Joyce and even your friend Kate.” I smirk and can’t help my smile. “Ironic isn’t it Max? When you left, all I had of you was that tape you recorded and if you wake up and I die today, then this will be all you have of me.”

Much like yesterday, the inevitable tears start. “Max I want you to k-know that even after five years, I never stopped thinking about you. I wore out that fucking tape you left because I listened to it over and over like a lunatic. I would miss you one day, and the next I would hate you. But now, all that is gone. All I feel now is fear and guilt. My hair, my tattoos, my attitude, my clothes, it’s all fucking camouflage. All designed to hide the fact that I’m still that helpless fourteen-year-old who lost her Dad and her best friend and didn’t know how to go on living like it used to be before that day. I’M FUCKING SCARED MAX! Of dying today, of losing you, of losing Rachel who I’m sure you recognise from all the missing person posters I put up around Blackwell.”

A truck flies past me which brings me back to reality. _Stop procrastinating and get to junkyard._ “Well that’s enough ranting. Time to face the music. Unless Dad wants to pay me a visit, like the last time I confronted a fucking armed psycho who had a hostage. Dad? Dad?” My call out to the void has seemed to gone unanswered so I toss my cigarette out on to the quiet road and start my engine. “No? Not today I guess. Maybe I’ll be seeing you soon Dad. The possibility of seeing you again certainly is a perk if I was to die today.”

With my phone still recording, I put the old girl in first gear and get back on the road. _No more fear Chloe, at least not until you get to American Rust._

* * *

** Author’s Note: **

**I’m sorry for splitting this chapter up. I wanted to publish it all as one chapter but I’ve been very busy at work and haven’t had the usual amount of free time to write. So I figured I’d give my readers a little something. Besides, people LOVE cliff hangers. Right?**


	10. Death is Cold Part II

** Author’s Note:  **

**This chapter is rated M for… reasons**

**Sorry for such a long wait. I really struggled with this particular part of the story and I wanted to get it just right. I hope it measures up.**

* * *

With my heart rate skyrocketing, I park in my usual spot just outside the junkyard entrance. Once I pull my parking brake and turn off the engine, I realise is might be a good idea to leave the keys in the ignition. _A quick escape is what might save my god damn life today._

I doublecheck that my phone is still recording in my pocket and step out in to the crisp fall air, mindful of David’s knife that is tucked into the back of my jeans.

_You got this Chloe. You got this. Ignore your pounding heart and that chill running down your spine._

I stand at the entrance to American Rust and nothing seems out of the ordinary. I didn’t see any parked cars on my way in, and there is no sign of activity. It’s still early, so dawn’s light hasn’t arrived yet, but I can see it coming over the mountain. All I can see is the usual junk piles and all I hear is the breeze, the birds and a train that must have just gone by since the sound is getting fainter by the second. _The fact that everything seems so hella fucking normal is what’s freaking me out!_

Wandering past the old school bus which is now home to untold amounts of scrap metal, I still see no signs of life or recent activity. _Hmmm, should I call out for Rachel, or even Nathan?_ I dismiss the idea as dumb, I need to focus on my surroundings.

Just after the bus I notice an old tyre with an ancient broken camera sitting on top. _What the hell?_ My eyes shoot up in surprise and instant recognition. _Is that the camera I smashed the day Rachel and I first stumbled upon this place? I think it is._

_Damn it Chloe! Stop taking the guided tour down memory lane and find Rachel, you fucking idiot!_

Deciding to check the other side of the school bus before any other place, I pass through the gap in the junk noticing the empty beer bottle resting on the bonnet of one of the many wrecked cars here. _One way or another, I’m gonna need a fucking drink today._

Once I’m in the clearing, something catches my eye. I freeze in place, trying my best to make out what it is. _Huh?_ It looks like someone lying on the ground. “Nathan?” I call out. Whoever it is doesn’t move an inch. “Is that you mother fucker?”

Wanting to dispel the escalating tension in my gut, I slowly make my way across the clearing. _Don’t be scared Chloe._ Getting closer and closer, a foul smell starts to plague the air surrounding me. _Ugh! It smells like death_. Each step I take feels like an eon, but before I know it, I’m standing before the bloodied corpse of Nathan Prescott.

“Oh my god,” is all I can manage to get out. _He’s dead, he’s fucking dead!_ The smell forces me to take a step back and I notice a gun lying on the ground next to him. It’s the same one he held on me in the bathroom. _Jesus Christ. Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!_ One of his eye balls has been slightly dislodged from it’s socket and there is blood everywhere, along with what I assume are pieces of his brain and skull. My breathing intensifies and for some reason, I’m still afraid.

_This must have happened right after he called me, but did he do this to himself?_

There is an old worn shovel leaning up against one of the junk piles and it looks like it’s been used recently since the dirt on it looks fresh. _What the hell would a Prescott need to dig for out here?_ Just past Nathan’s body, atop of a slight incline is a large mound of dirt.

_No please. It can’t be…_

With an infinite number of possibilities racing through my mind, I run over to the pile of dirt to find a large but shallow hole in the ground which contains something wrapped in blue plastic. Whatever it is, it’s about the size of a… _No. Please, just fucking don’t be her._ Tears start running down my face and my hands are shaking.

“Rachel! Please don’t let it be you!”

Kneeling at pit, I take two handfuls of blue plastic and rip the bag open. _Oh fuck._ The smell that escapes the bag makes my stomach do somersaults. Bile rises in my throat and I vomit up the few bits of bacon I ate earlier. “No, no please,” each word comes between coughing and spiting.

Once my stomach has settled I finish tearing open the bag wishing I could wake up from this hell.

My stomach, the stench of death and vomit all around me fade into the background at sight of the rotted corpse that’s been partially preserved by the plastic. The face has been decayed by dirt, worms and times cruel hand, but my attention is mostly drawn the sight of a tattoo. A tattoo of a star on the left wrist that confirms what I’ve been denying for nearly six months.

“RACHEL! NO PLEASE! Not you too!” I scream to the heavens. “This isn’t real,” I plead with myself.

“What kind of worl-“ the feel of a strong hand on my shoulder cuts me off mid-sentence and all my senses are suddenly razor sharp. I gasp in terror and throw myself forward.

“Gah! Fuck!” Whoever is behind grunts in anger and I hear them stumble towards me. _Fuck! Get to the car, RUN!_ With the grace of an olympian, I jump to my feet and vault over the old washing machine, barely missing all the scrap metal that’s in way of me getting to my car.

_The keys are in the ignition, Chloe. Keep running._

Whoever’s behind me is still in pursuit. I’m too afraid to look back, but I can hear his rapid footsteps, grunting and the sound of him treading over all the scrap metal.

Sweat is flying off me and I know I won’t be able to get away quick enough in my car.

_USE THE KNIFE CHLOE!_

My attacker is only a few feet behind me.

It’s now or never. Do or die.

At lightning speed I draw my step father’s army knife from my jeans and hold it out in defence, taking the man by surprise.

“BACK UP! BACK THE FUCK UP OR I’LL FUCKING GUT YOU!” Unleashing my caveman voice has halted my attacker in his tracks, but not before he holds up a large syringe which makes my hand tremble for a second.

_What the hell does he have in that syringe? Tranquilizer? Cyanaide?_

My attacker and I are both ready to pounce. Without words but rather heavy breathing, we circle each other with about six or seven feet between us, our eyes locked like two wolves who are about to fight for dominance.

My fear recedes ever so slightly. _You won’t take me, not today, whoever the fuck you are._

He’s middle aged and tall with brown, stylish hair along with very dark eyes. His neatly trimmed beard and glasses aren’t exactly consistent with how the average person would describe a murderer, but I know better. He’s also wearing white latex gloves which do nothing to ease my nerves.

The man decides to break the silence between us. “You’re pretty fast, Price,” his tone is arctic. “I’m impressed to say the least.” I say nothing in response. _Who the fuck is this guy? What’s he doing here?_ “Was that your handy work, Nathan I mean?”

His question throws me off balance. _He thinks I killed Nathan? Fuck that shit, HE killed him. Why else would he be here._ “No,” I snap at him. “But I wanted to,” I confess to the man. “It was you! You wouldn’t be here otherwise!”

His chilling half smile tells me more than words ever could. “You know, you’re not as dumb as you look, but I must admit that I came here for the same reason as you.” His eyes darken. “To kill Nathan. He had a burner phone he thought I didn’t know about which was easy to trace, and this was my best chance.”

“No! I c-came here to save Rachel,” my words cause him to laugh in such a casual manner that I almost forget about the needle in his hand. “Shut your fucking mouth!”

He stops laughing, but a smug judgmental grin is still all over his face. “How noble of you. So I guess that’s how Nathan lured you here, by saying that Rachel is here and that she’s alive? I must admit that digging up Rachel was a ballsy move on his part.”

My blood boils like never before. “You killed her, didn’t you? And you killed Nathan to cover your tracks?”

_There’s no escaping now, it’s him or me._

“Nice guess Chloe, but no. Six months ago that fucking dumb ass Prescott gave her enough sedative for a two-hundred-pound man. She was never meant to die.” He chuckles ever so slightly. “Ever since he killed Rachel, Nathan was so damn afraid of dosage levels. Why do you think you woke up early on Saturday night before he had a chance to finish? Of course what I can’t figure out is why he would want someone like you as a model. I thought I taught the boy better than that. I came here to tie up a loose end, but it seems Nathan took care of that for me, of course that just leaves you.”

_Rachel, Kate, Max, me. All of it. It was all this bastards doing? He taught Nathan everything? And what does he mean by ‘model’?_

“Just try it pretty boy,” I straighten my stance and grip my knife to show him I mean business. “I’ll fucking kill you, cunt!” A crow flies right past us that startles me, but the man takes no notice of it.

“Rachel said you have a sailor’s mouth. She wasn’t kidding.”

“Bullshit! You know nothing about me except for what you saw on the news.”

_Don’t let him get inside your head._

“Au contraire Chloe. She told me all about you, not that I asked. It’s just that Rachel always got so chatty after sex. Of course, you fucked her more than I ever did, so what do I know?” This son of a bitch knows how press my buttons, there’s no way it’s true. _NO WAY!_

“LIAR! Rachel would never fuck an old creep like you.”

“Tell me,” he pauses. “Did she finger your asshole while she went down on you too? She only used one finger with me, but you look like you could handle two.”

_No, no! It’s not true._

“No! No, no.”

“Oh boy, I wish I had a camera right now. Your face tells an amazing story. I’d get a close up shot of you and title it ‘Unrequited’. She didn’t love you. She only loved fucking you. You were a best friend with benefits, unlike me. She worshipped me, idolized me, did whatever I told her. Even after all our pillow talk, she never ran out of saliva. She sucked and swallowed every time, just like a good fan girl should.” He chuckles. “Hell I should have brought some bleach to clean out what’s left of Rachel’s stomach. There might still be some of my DNA inside her.”

_Don’t let him break you! It’s what he wants._

“Fuck you, fuck you. You’re a liar, and a killer,” my words come with no strength behind them because deep down, I know he’s right. _Rachel, did I know you at all?_

“Oh Mark! Yes, yes,” he says loudly, obviously imitating Rachel. “God damn, the sounds she made when she came all over my bedsheets, it was like a choir of fucking angels.”

_This guy’s name is Mark?_  
He obviously knew Rachel.  
He knows about photography.  
He ‘taught’ Nathan.  
He’s handsome and looks quite pretentious, despite being a psycho.

Everything falls into place as I finally realise who this guy is. “You. You’re Mark Jefferson, aren’t you?”

“Very good Chloe,” he replies, his voice low and dark.

“Max Caulfield was a student of yours?” I already know the answer to that question, but I have to know if he hurt her too. Like he did Kate.

_‘Je-Jef-Jef-Jeff-Jeff-Jeff.’_ Max’s words from the bathroom come back to me. _Was she trying to say his name to me? Was she on to him and Nathan?_

“She sure was. I heard on the news that you two were friends once upon a time, not that I give a fuck. Still… Max was certainly an interesting student. So much potential, as a photographer, an artist and even as one of my models. But in the end, the silly cunt couldn’t get out of her own way.”

_The fuck did he just say!?_

“IF YOU FUCKING LAID A HAND ON HER-“

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” he cuts me off. “Besides, any hope of her being a model of mine died when she got herself shot. I don’t work with tainted models like Max who’s wrapped in bandages and awaiting death, or like you. Hateful and bitter, abandoned by the world and those around you.” _What the fuck did Rachel tell him?_ “With a dead daddy and minimum wage mommy a-“.

“ENOUGH! I don’t give a fuck how much you think you know about me, or what Rachel told you. Your gonna pay for what you’ve done mother fucker! Your time at Blackwell is-“

“Okay,” Jefferson chimes in softly.

“What?”

“I said okay,” his tone is so mundane, like I’ve asked him about the weather or something. “In fact, let me make is easier for you.” He stares at his large syringe and then shrugs at it. Tossing it into a large pile of garbage, he changes his stance from defensive, to casual. “Do what you gotta do Price.”

_What the fuck is he playing at? He’s not giving up, I know that much._

He continues to stare at me without a word from either of us and something in his eyes changes as if they turned from dark brown to jet black. The ghost of a smile crosses his face and he sighs deeply.

In a flash, he uses his right hand to reach around for something in the back of his pants.

_GUN!_

Suddenly I see it, I see everything.

* * *

 

**“Chloe,” Mommy calls out from down stairs. “Can you come down here?” I head down the stairs, careful I don’t fall and see Mommy with two strangers. One is a tall man with a big beard like Santa but it’s not white, and the other is a pretty lady with dark hair. “Chloe, this is Mr and Mrs Caulfield, Mommy met them at the diner.”**

**“Hi,” I wave at them.**

**“Hi there Chloe,” the dark haired lady says. “It’s nice to meet you. Oh, and this…” she points at a girl about my age who is standing in the kitchen who I didn’t see “is our daughter, Maxine. Come and say hi sweetie.”**

**_Maxine? Max-ine? That’s a funny name._ ** **She is smaller than me and has little spots on her face. “Hi,” I say to Max-ine.**

**“Hi,” she says back really softly.**

* * *

 

I lunge at Jefferson with David’s knife, ready to stick it in his gut.

I think my heart has stopped beating.

* * *

 

**I hear Dad close the door behind him and notice that Max makes looks really upset. _Why though? Maybe she’s nervous about telling me about the move to Seattle. She obviously doesn’t know that I know._ “Max, you are being so fucking strange, like your never gonna see us again.”**

**“Chloe, I’m so sorry. I tried to make things different for you… I…I did try. I’m sorry.”**

**_Wait, is this about her moving away, or something else?_ **

**“I don’t know exactly what you’re talking about, but come on. You have made things different, like my whole life. You’re my best friend. I’ve got you and a great family. What’s to be sorry for? We’ll be best friends forever. And when we grow up we’re taking over the world.”**

**_Even if it’s from separate cities._ **

**“Listen, whatever happens, I want you to be strong. Even if you feel like I wasn’t there for you…” She takes my hand. “Because I will never abandon, Chloe. I’ll always have your back. Always.”**

**_Is this her way of telling me she’s leaving?_ **

**She suddenly let’s go of my hand and looks around the living room as if she’s lost something. “Max are you okay?” My question brings her attention back to me. _What the hell is going on with her?_**

**“Yeah. I t-think so.” Max looks around again. “I think I need a shower and some fresh clothes.”**

**“Sure, go ahead. I could use a shower myself, but you go first. Cool?” She nods in response and heads upstairs. Whatever weird shit is going on with her seems to have passed.**

* * *

 

Jefferson takes the gun out of his pants and the barrel moves in my direction.

_I don’t wanna die, I don’t want wanna die._

* * *

 

**Rachel looks at me intently, places her lips on mine and I savour every single detail of this moment.**

****_The taste of her lips._  
Her amazing jasmine scent.  
The way the street light reflects her perfect skin and hair. 

**The kiss ends way before I wanted it to. _I want more! I need more!_**

**“Is that convincing enough?” Before she lets me answer she is coming back for more.**

**“Yeah,” her lips are on mine again. _Rachel Amber, what are you doing to me?_**

**I put my hands on her slim hips and let myself be in the moment. Our tongues intertwine, and I never want this moment to end. I didn’t think I could happy ever again, but I was wrong.**

* * *

 

Both of us have gone from lightning speed to standing as still as a statue.

The gentle breeze has vanished, and I can’t hear anything but the indescribable sounds coming from Mark Jefferson. Our bodies are pressed against each other, shoulder to shoulder. We are so close, that I can even hear his teeth grinding in distress.

I look down to find that his white shirt is now host to a large red stain that is getting bigger by the second and that my knife is inside his abdomen, all the way in to the hilt.

_Did I…_

Jefferson starts to grunt, like he’s trying to say something. “Taking…you…too,” each word comes slowly and with struggle.

I feel something metallic press against my body.

_No._

* * *

**Gortoz a Ran – Denez Prigent**

A black crow perches itself atop an old yellow school bus and basks in the warmth that accompanies the sun rising over the mountain. However the relief brought by the sun is short lived as a foul scent now consumes the air. A smell of death and suffering that no creature should have to endure.

The crow watches Chloe Price, like it has for so many years. She lies in a pool of blood that has mixed with the surrounding dirt and pieces of her pale flesh. She squirms in pain as she tries to reach for something in her pocket.

The man next to her is conscious, but twitching, hanging on to life, unable to move. “Bitch. Cunt,” the hateful man can barely get the words out before he slips into the dark, still twitching.

Chloe spends the next few minutes on her phone, pleading for help with whoever is on the other end. The crow flies down to her, it has never been this close before. It knows it must always keep its distance and only watch from afar. Her brilliant blue eyes stare right at the crow and all it can do is continue to stare right back. She slowly holds out a blood soaked hand to the crow, as if she were calling for divine intervention.

She finally speaks, her words weak and barely audible. “D-D-Dad.” She suddenly coughs violently in the crows direction, blood pouring from her mouth. The crow doesn’t move, but continues to watch.

Soon enough, Chloe’s eyes close, tears and blood still staining her face. The crow watches her chest continue to rise and fall with each breath but is eventually scared off by the sound of an approaching siren.

The sirens become louder with each moment and soon the junkyard is lit by the sun, along with red and blue flashing lights.

* * *

** Author’s Note: **

**Yep. So that happened.**


	11. Erasing Shadows

Detective Jodi Silver was at her limit in every conceivable way. She leans over the basin of the cramped women’s room of the Arcadia Bay police station and takes a few breaths in a vain attempt to gather her composure. A cigarette is what she really needed, but self-discipline would have to suffice for the time being. Her long black hair is loose as opposed to her usual ponytail and the woman she looks at in the mirror looks fatigued and in need of sleep.

‘ _Hmmm, maybe a power nap is in order before Adam shows up with the warrants.’_

The bloodbath at the junkyard had affected her more than she could admit to anyone else and on top of that, she had the press and her superiors breathing down her neck. Of course what was hardest to deal with was the discovery of Rachel Amber. Though she had never met her, Jodi worked closely with her father on numerous cases over the past several years. Missing person cases were nothing new to her and after six months she knew it wasn’t going to have a happy ending.

‘ _Shit Jim, you and Rose don’t deserve this.’_

She had spent her morning at the junkyard outside of town trying piece together what had happened there. It first seemed like an impossible task since but once forensics sent by the Oregon State Police had arrived and she had found a recording on Chloe Price’s phone, things started to fall into place. However, what confirmed everything was the note found in Nathan Prescott’s jacket pocket. It specified everything that he and Mark Jefferson had been up to, along with the location of their so called ‘dark room’. The whole town, Blackwell included is in shock as are the local and state police officers. The case has pushed everyone to the limit, but Jodi knows that the department can’t slow down now.

‘ _You’ve been through worse Sil. Suck it up, be a cop and do your damn job.’_

After one last look in the mirror, she put her hair back in a ponytail and splashed some water on her face. With her game face back on, Jodi stepped back into the small, but functional police station. It was strange seeing so many people in one room yet hearing so little. Jodi took a glance around the room and it was clear that she wasn’t the only one affected by the day’s events. Whilst the state police were somewhat more composed, the local police looked as broken as she felt.

_‘These Arcadia locals didn’t sign up for shit like this.’_

After a trip to the break room to get a red bull, Jodi steps back into the main area to find the assistant district attorney Adam Shale waiting for her in his usual three piece suit. Much like James Amber, Jodi had worked closely with Adam for several years and had come to trust his judgement on nearly everything. He was less of a public figure than James Amber, but still dedicated and very professional. Since the discovery of Rachel’s body, James Amber has been barred from any involvement in the Prescott/Jefferson case due to his daughter being a victim. This meant Adam Shale being forced to step up and fill the shoes of his superior, mentor and friend.

“Please tell me you got ‘em,” Jodi says as she approaches Adam with confident strides.

“Well Sean Prescott’s legal team is still fighting back every attempt to get warrants for his properties as expected. But..” Adam puts his brief case on a nearby desk and takes out several sheets of paper. “This barn house you mentioned earlier on the phone is owned by Sean’s father which made it a little easier for me.” He hands her the papers. “You got the green light for the barn.”

Jodi lived for these moments. Her cop instincts were at their strongest when all the legal bullshit was taken care of and nothing was standing in the way of the truth. “Thanks Adam,” Jodi says with utter sincerity.

“Sure thing,” he replies. “Any word from the hospital yet about Price and Jefferson?”

This was a question that Jodi had heard countless times today and has grown sick of hearing, but she knew Adam’s heart was in the right place. “Both are still in surgery as far as I know. I gave the hospital my details and they said they’d call once they have news.” Aside from the case and the well being of Chloe Price, another thought had been consuming Jodi’s mind. “Were you there?” Adam looks at Jodi, not understanding the question. “When Jim found out about Rachel?”

“Yeah I was,” his response is low and the mood between the two suddenly shifts. “He didn’t react the way I thought he would. He was quiet as he got the news from the officers and his face turned red, but before I could say a word he just walked out of the office and headed for his car. I assume he went home to see Rose. All I want right now is to call him, but I know it’s not the thing to do right now. Jim and Rose need space to grieve.”

Both Adam and Jodi were single and childless, but still understood the universal truth that no parent should have to bury their child. “You’re right,” Jodi said as she nodded in agreement. “I think I’ll send flowers once I get some down time from the case, but for now I got a job to finish.” After checking the warrants, Jodi finished her red bull and cleared her throat.

“Go get ‘em, for the Ambers.” Adam’s words motivated her more than any energy drink ever could.

“Alright everyone, listen up!” The room was already quiet, but Jodi’s exclamation had everyone’s attention in less than a second and all eyes were on her. “Thanks to our assistant DA here…” Jodi motioned in Adam’s direction who seems momentarily uncomfortable being the centre of attention “we have the warrants for the barn house that I’m sure you have all been hearing about.” After a series of whispers through the room, Jodi continues. “Based on what we have this place will most likely be empty, but that doesn’t mean we are taking chances so all who are first on scene must wear a vest. I will be running the show in terms of first on scene.” The majority of the officers picked to accompany Jodi to the dark room were from the State Police since they were more experienced and could be trusted since the smell of a rat in the local department was obvious. Silver knew one of the Arcadia local cops had leaked the involvement of Chloe Price in the Blackwell shooting to the media or maybe even the Prescotts. As a result, Jodi didn’t know who to trust in the ABPD, if anyone at all.

“Forensics?” Jodi motioned to a group of five differently, but neatly dressed officers. The group consisted of three males, two females and all wore navy polo shirts with the OSP insignia printed on the left breast pocket. “You guys will hang back and stand by until you get the all clear.” The group nods in acknowledgement. “And this goes without saying but no one goes near that barn without gloves. There will be no contamination of this crime scene! Is that clear?” Her question is met by a series of grunts and generic statements none of which had any backbone.

“Look,” Jodi addressed the entire room. The declining morale in the room was palpable and Jodi had to do something about it. Tomorrow might be a day to break, but not today. “I know today has been a tough day for all of us. The scene at the junk yard was the stuff of nightmares and I know not all of you were ready for it. This week so far has no doubt scarred the image of Arcadia Bay forever but despite that, we have a chance, right now, to close the book on all of it. The residents of this town, the kids at Blackwell, the media and all of us, we ALL need a win right now. So let’s go get it!” Jodi’s speech, while not award winning certainly fulfilled its purpose as the officers under her command rallied and began to prepare for the raid on the dark room.

* * *

Joyce sat in the hospital waiting room, unable to breathe at a regular pace or stop her hands from shaking. She had chosen to sit in one of the chairs that faced away from the reception desk since eye contact isn’t something she could manage right now. Every second, turned minute, turned hour without a word on Chloe’s condition drove her deeper into the abyss. All she knew was that her beloved daughter had been shot by a highly esteemed teacher and the two were now both in surgery since Chloe allegedly stabbed him in self defence.

‘ _Chloe, please be okay. I can’t make it without you.’_

Her eyes turned from the coffee stain on the floor to her brown leather handbag which housed the letter that her daughter had left for her earlier that day. Since arriving at the hospital she had read it countless times and the contents broke her heart just as much as the horrid reality that she may have to bury yet another family member. She could never tell her husband because it isn’t fair on him, but she wanted William there with her right now, not David.

_‘Forgive me William. I should have kept her safe. This wouldn’t happen on your watch.’_

Joyce could feel, rather than see all the eyes on her. Some from the hospital staff, others from fellow visitors but she didn’t care or even bother to turn to see if her assumption was true.

“Joyce,” a white plastic cup of water was held before her by David Madsen. “Please drink. I haven’t seen you eat or drink anything since last night.” Despite his best attempts to put on a tough exterior, David was falling apart and wanted something, anything to do to make himself feel useful. Even if it was something as mundane as bringing his distraught wife a drink. She looked up into her husband’s eyes and was so sure she was wearing the same look as him.

Proper hydration was not her priority at the moment but she took the cup anyway and downed its contents quickly. “T-thank you,” she said softly as she tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash can.

David sat beside her with no clue as to what to say or do. All the training and experience the military had given him could not possibly prepare him for what he and Joyce were going through, the two were helpless. Drawing a blank, he instead opted to take his wife’s shaking hand and hoped the simple gesture was enough. It was. Joyce rested her head on David’s shoulder and the tears started to flow again.

Wanting a distracting, Joyce asked David where Ryan and Vanessa were. A twinge of guilt rushed through Joyce. The shock of what happened at the junkyard had made her momentarily forget what had happened to Max.

‘ _Both my girls shot. How do I live with this?’_

“The brain specialist from Portland arrived earlier and they are talking to him now. They told me to tell you that they will be back as soon as they can.” David’s answer brought no comfort to Joyce. She knew they had to check in about Max’s condition but also wanted them here with her.

David placed a soft kiss on his wife’s temple. “We’ll get through this Joyce. No matter what happens I’ll be here for my fam-“

An unfamiliar voice cut David off. “Mrs Price?” The words got Joyce and David to their feet at lightning speed and standing before them was a balding middle aged man in surgical scrubs.

“Yes,” Joyce said not bothering to correct the doctor about her surname. Her heart was beating beyond human capacity at what he might be about to say.

_‘Please tell me something good. Don’t let this be the end.’_

The doctor remained professional as he always did and gave Joyce the news…

* * *

“Okay people,” Jodi addressed the small group of officers once it was confirmed that the barn house was clear of any threats. “Nathan’s note said that the entrance is camouflaged on the ground somewhere. Find it.” Her command got her subordinates to holster their sidearms and begin kicking hay in every direction, all hoping to get the lucky find. Despite the burning desire to uncover the so called ‘dark room’, most of the officers were a little slow due to the additional weight they were forced to carry brought on by their kevlar vests.

Detective Silver took a deep breath and glanced around the room taking it all in. She knew this was the place and her instincts seldom failed. It was obvious that the hay on the ground was only the last layer that concealed the darkness below. The age on the barn itself and the ancient farming gear would tell any would-be intruder that there is nothing to see here but some old worthless farming crap from another time. However, the oversized and recently installed padlock on the main door along with the fact that someone paid to run electrical cable into the structure painted a different story.

Instead of looking for the entrance to the dark room, Jodi took her time and observed everything in the barn. Nothing indicated recent activity. Everything she eyed was layered in a thick coat of dust.

‘ _Hmmm, Nathan and Jefferson must have made sure not to touch anything around here thus selling the illusion. I doubt forensics will find anything up here.’_

“Detective Silver!” The call from the only other female officer on site got everyone’s attention. “I think I got it.” Officer Abigail Rolston had met Jodi Silver yesterday but only briefly as she had taken a statement from Kate Marsh regarding her claim that was being proven more and more true as the seconds went by.

Once enough hay had been cleared, a hatch was before them with yet another huge padlock. Unlike everything else in the room, the door was relatively new and in excellent condition.

Before Silver could ask who had them, a well built African American OSP officer bent down and made short work of the padlock with the bolt cutters that were used to open the barn doors only minutes earlier. Once the hatch had been lifted open a chill ran down Jodi’s spine that she was certain was also running through all her fellow officers.

“Jesus,” someone uttered.

A small stair case led the group down to a well lit area surrounded by industrial grade steel. The slightly flickering lights made some of the officers uneasy, but failed to deter Jodi.

“Feels like we are descending into hell itself,” another officer said which Jodi internally agreed with.

In front of them was a massive security door made from the same steel that surrounded the area. So far everything about this place lined up with the contents of Nathan Prescott’s suicide note and it seemed the entry code would be no exception.

“What do you make of this Ma’am?” Asked Rolston as she gestured towards the keypad. Jodi being the only one in the room to have actually read the suicide note took a quick look at the device and scoffed.

‘ _Fuck me, talk about amateur hour. 2,4 and 5 are the only digits with any wear on them and Prescott’s note said that the code is 542. Jefferson should have replaced the keypad and a five digit code would have helped too. Then again, I guess getting someone out here to replace it would risk exposure and Jefferson wouldn’t qualify as a handyman.’_

Not responding to Rolston’s query, Jodi punched in the three digit code and was not the least bit surprised to see a solid green light appear on the keypad followed by the sound of an electronic lock releasing.

“Rolston,” Jodi said with quiet authority. “This door is solid steel and should cover you just fine. On my mark pull the door open slowly so we can see if there are any surprises waiting for us on the other side. Got it?”

“Got it Ma’am,” Rolston replied as she grasped the door handle.

“The rest of you, be damn sure to check your corners. We ain’t taking any chances here.” Jodi drawed her weapon and everyone else followed suit except for Rolston who kept her grip on the door.

Rolston got the go ahead nod from her superior and began to open the door slowly, a bit slower than what Jodi wanted but she held her tongue.

She couldn’t see everything yet, but Jodi was looking at a small area that she assumed lead to the main section of the dark room. In front of her was a sink with some basic cleaning supplies but mostly bleach no doubt used to clean up evidence should the need arise. Beside it was a hot water service along with some steel shelves that housed an abundance of non-perishable foods.

_‘Hmmm, seems like the place to be in the event of a tornado or nuclear war.’_

“Police!” Jodi’s loud statement made several of her fellow officers jolt slightly. She mentally patted herself on the back, proud to know that she’s still got it. “We have a warrant for the premises! If anyone’s in here, make yourself known right now! We are armed!” Her powerful command was met with a stony silence, as expected.

The senior detective stepped through the door first, checking her corners with no nasty surprises lying in wait. She could see the some of the main area from where she was and decided not to slow down. Aiming her weapon up and taking the safety off, Jodi wastes no time in stepping out into the make shift studio. Blocking out all details as clearing the area was the priority, she swiftly deduced that the area was empty of any threats except for in front of the sofa. Jodi motioned for her officers to keep eyes on the main area. They understood for the most part and the sofa was checked with no hassle.

After a quick final once over, it was obvious that no one was in the room. “All clear,” Jodi said as she secured her side arm in its holster. “Safeties on and someone get forensics down here ASAP.”

The minutes dragged for all on scene. No one acknowledged it but there was an elephant in the dark room and it was in the form of irrational fear. There were no threats around that could cause harm, but it was clear that the mere sight and feel of the dark room would stick with the group for all their days. This crippling fear slowed everyone down and the room was searched as a snail’s pace.

_The wildly expensive photography equipment._

_The disturbing art that clung to the walls._

_The large supply of tranquilisers and syringes._

_The correspondence between Prescott, Jefferson and a local psychiatrist._

Everything in the room screamed that this was the end of the rainbow, that the case could be closed.

“Detective Silver,” Rolston called out. Jodi put down the old newspaper that detailed Rachel Amber’s disappearance and approached Rolston who was gazing at an open cupboard that was somewhat smaller than the others in the room. “You need to see this,” she added.

Inside was a collection of red binders, all marked with female names. There were so many names, but the binders marked ‘RACHEL’ and ‘KATE’ are what caught Jodi’s attention. It was obvious that they were the most recent added to the collection since the writing in black marker hadn’t faded whilst some of the other binders had shown signs of aging. She took them out and instructed the others to check the remainder of the evidence.

“Oh my God.”

“What kind of monster would do this?”

“Sick bastards.”

“Is this supposed to be art?”

“Those poor girls.”

As each fold was checked, a new but already used statement was used by the officers to describe the evil that laid before them. Each folder contained black and white images of young girls in a helpless and drugged state and they all clearly had no idea what was happening to them.

Since Jodi was the ranking officer, she couldn’t let her colours show and had to maintain an image of strength and unwavering authority even though the urge to burn the bunker to the ground ran through her like a homicidal rage.

“Kate Marsh,” Rolston blurted out as she examined the binder’s contents. “When I talked to her yesterday she described being in a ‘white and bright place’ the night she was at that party last week.” Her eyes went from the sickly photos to the white backdrop surrounded by professional quality lighting gear. “She wasn’t lying.”

“Is this all the binders?” Jodi’s question to the group forced someone to check the cupboard once more.

“Yeah that’s all of the- wait hang on.” The overly tall officer pulled out one last binder and handed it to Jodi. “We missed one right at the back.”

Thanking him, Jodi glanced at the folder marked ‘SAMANTHA’ and saw that it was somewhat different from the others. The plastic was creased implying its increased age, the permanent marker that displayed her name was faded more so than all the others and a subtle layer of dust covered much of the exterior of the binder. Everything Jodi took notice of told her that this was the first of the binders, the one that started the collection.

‘ _You were the first, weren’t you Samantha?’_

The photos inside were framed much like the rest but lacked a certain quality.

‘ _Was Jefferson using an older camera when he took these?’_

The girl was short, slim with shoulder length brown hair although Jodi couldn’t be sure due to the photo being in black and white. Her hands and feet were bound with duct tape and she looked disoriented and afraid. “She sort of looks like Max Caulfield doesn’t she?” Jodi didn’t realise that Rolston was looking at the images also, but she couldn’t help but agree.

“Minus the freckles of course,” Jodi responded.

Jodi’s mind immediately went to what she had heard from the recording on Chloe’s phone. It was obvious that Max was on Mark Jefferson’s list of potential subjects and that sooner or later there would be a red binder in this room with her name on it.

‘ _At least he won’t get his hands on her now.’_

“Detective Silver,” an officer addressed her as he stepped into the main area. She didn’t know his name but he was one of OSP officers that arrived in town earlier that day.

“Yes?”

“The hospital has been trying to reach you, but I guess there is no cell reception down here. I have an update about Price and Jefferson.”

Everyone in the room froze in their spot and turned to face the officer, a collective, yet unseen breath of anxiety was drawn.

“Speak,” Jodi said since the officer was suddenly stunted, not expecting to be put on the spot like this.

‘ _Enough bad news has been dropped today. Give me something good, please.’_

“Chloe Price is out of surgery and in a stable condition. All indications say that she will pull through just fine.” The number of breaths being let out in obvious relief makes an odd sound that briefly bounces off the walls. A series of smiles and ‘thank gods’ can’t be helped by everyone around and for a moment, they all forget the darkness that surrounds them. Even Jodi couldn’t help but smile which isn’t something she normally did, especially not at work.

_‘Still kicking aye Price? Girl is tougher than I thought.’_

“And Jefferson?” Jodi asks once the group has enjoyed their little moment. The room was once again silent, but it was obvious that no one cared one way or the other.

“H-he… was pronounced dead about thirty minutes ago. The knife wound was simply too deep and there was no way to stop internal bleeding.” The statement from the officer was spoken in a blank even tone, as if he was taking morning roll call like a teacher.

No one in the room responded to the news of Mark Jefferson’s death, at least not visibly.

‘ _Thank God for that. With that fucker and Nathan both dead, none of this has to go to trial.’_

Jodi thanked the officer and ordered the group to continue searching for anymore incriminating evidence. The hours dragged, and afternoon turned to night as the dark room was searched, photographed and its contents catalogued, never to be seen by the public.

* * *

** Author’s Note: **

**Blame my long absence on laziness, a loss of passion, alcohol and Red Dead Redemption 2. By the way, how awesome is that game!**

**I tried to make it as obvious as I could but the Samantha mentioned in this chapter was Samantha Myers from Before The Storm. The second I saw her when I first played BTS, I knew she would be a victim. At least that’s the way I saw it.**

**So Chloe is alive and Jefferson is dead. I will be going back to writing in first person with the next chapter, whenever that will be.**


End file.
